Tai's World

happy 5th birthday and happy graduation

2011-06-08T16:42:00.003-06:00

May 2011 was a hard month for me, my baby turned 5 years old and also graduated from preschool.

Since his 4th birthday he has reached the following milestones;

1. Tai has not had one single potty accident so far (one accomplishment mommy is very proud of)

2. Tai can count from 1-20 and recognizes the numbers.

3. He can write letters A-M both big and small and know their sounds.

4. Tai is now the proud parent of a new Beta fish and a guniea pig - and they are still happy and alive.

5. Tai has grown 2 and a quarter inches tall.

6. He has not scored a soccer goal yet but has come along way and is finally playing and practicing with his teammates without being attatched to mommies leg.

7. He has overcomed his fear of dark basements and is now willing to run downtairs without calling out for someone to go with him.

8. He can ride his bike still with training wheels but he is going faster then ever.

9. He has also learned to pump his legs on the swings and doesn't need anyone to push him.

10. Tai can write his name.

Tai is growing so fast and learning so many things, and slowly becoming more independent. He amazes me everyday, and pretty soon I'll me adding getting baptized, and going on a mission to the list. My heart is so full when I think of how lucky I am to have this kid for a son.

Mommy loves you Tai and happy 5th birthday again to my greatest blessing.

Aggies in the house

2011-04-27T13:19:00.011-06:00

I have been holding my breath for the past couple months because I have been wanting this for so long, and finally got the opportunity.
This past summer I decided that I wanted to continue my education and apply to get my graduate degree in SW, as my son will finally start kindergarden soon. This past fall I learned really quick that the brain is a muscle, and my brain was very out of shape. I did my best to prepare to take the GRE and took it and scored really bad, I took it again couple months later and did even worse. Also at the time I realized why my parents kept telling me to do good in college , because looking at my grades it was no where near what was required for my program. Well to make a long story short , I submitted my application in anyways, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Miracles do happen and I got accepted in the Utah state University MSW program, I'll officially become an Aggie, and start school august 2011.Also my son got into his charter school for kinder garden , and we will be starting school together in august2011.

I feel very blessed and excited to be starting this new chapter in my life, adding school to my current job and my other job as a mother to my two boys (Vete and Tai) like it is not already busy as it is- I'm still excited-lol!

Mars needs moms

2011-03-20T00:48:00.003-06:00

Tai has been asking to watch rango and because it was mommies date with Tai, I convinced him to watch "Mars needs moms", and he can go watch Rango on daddy and Tai's day out. He agreed and we had an awesome time, the perfect movie to watch on a mommy and son date. A cute story, and I cried towards the end (whats new). Great bonding moment with my lil man!

My next project

2011-02-15T18:58:00.003-07:00

Lately I have been on a craft roll, this is what i have done so far- more to come.

I wanted to show off my first attempt to modge podging my dresser, I have some air bubbles I couldn't get rid of but other then that I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. In the future I may change out the hardware but painting what I had black is good enough for now.

Currently I'm working on Tai's room, he wants a "Mickey Mouse" room. Tai loves those classic Mickey mouse and donald duck cartoon shorts, the kid cracks up non stop watching them. My goal with this room is to decorate it with the classic mickey mouse look. It's gonna be hard cause my budget is very, very, very minimal so I really have to be creative. This is the first thing that I made - the chair I got from DI - cost 5.00 (only me can try and negotiate the price lower at a DI). I painted it with black acrylic paint and red glossy acrylic paint, then cut out the mickey and the buttons with white cardstock- and modge podge them on. If I could do it again I would have used vinyl for the mickey, but again I'm on a budet. Tai loves it and I cannot wait to finish the room- and yes I do watch too much hgtv.

Happy late-Halloween.

2010-12-02T12:58:00.002-07:00

I'm really blogging out of order- here are some pictures of our trunk or treat.

Tai was a GI Joe, and yes his costume was on clearance last year, and yes I convinced him that GI Joes are the coolest ever even though he had no idea what a GI Joe is. Sad to say I did it again, and bought another costume on clearance for next year- I'll be spending all year trying to convince Tai Ninja's are cool. Not sure if I can keep doing this any longer , he maybe catching on......

Taituliatu and uncle Taisamoa
Cutest dog I ever met

Bishop Te'o

Tai and friends

Grandparents

2010-12-02T12:30:00.003-07:00

Because Grandparents are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.
~Jimmy Carter

Grandma and Grandpa Betham with Drew and Tai

Grandma and Grandpa Ho Ching with Tai

My Baby is 4

2010-11-29T21:07:00.005-07:00

This post is a couple months old, but oh well thats what I get. My little big boy turned 4 years old on May 30, 2010, and we had a little birthday party for him to celebrate. Looking back on this day made me realize how little time I have left to spend with him. I can feel those teenage years coimng around the corner, I know those days of rebellion and fia poto-ness (my new word) are gonna be here sooner then I think. For now I cherish every moment I get to spend with my son, my greatest blessing. This kid is so special to me because in his eyes I am the funniest person, I can say anything and he cracks up. He thinks I am so cool, and he just loves having tickle parties. I am so thankful to be his Mommy, and Tai I love you to the moon and back million, billions times over.

What a year!

2010-11-01T18:03:00.026-06:00

Wow I have been so MIA lately in the blogging world and it feels good to be back! I have been reading past posts and I realized how important it is to blog. Reading these past posts brought back so many old memories some good some bad, but I loved it. I have a huge gap on my blog, and I'll do my best to fill it with this post.

So lets start with the sad stuff, so year ago I had a miscarriage and it's a small event but had a huge impact on me. I struggled with feelings of being inadequate, and broken both physically and emotionally. Feelings of regret really brought negativity in my life, and I found myself putting blame on others, and also wondering about the what if's? I was a really negative person, I was miserable, I gained a ton of weight and I just didn't want to be happy. During this struggle I realized a lot of things, I realized that I had a wonderful supportive husband and the reasons why I married him magnified. I have developed a relationship with my savior Jesus Christ and realized my worth as a daughter of God. I still struggle with infertility and still as baby hungry as ever but this struggle has helped me grow in many ways and I'm just so grateful for my testimony, my family and everything that I have- especially the light of my life my son.

After this happened we started house shopping and bought a house and it's been a year since we have been here. Still so many unfinished projects, and lots of work but getting there. Home ownership has many pros and cons- the feeling we get when we pull into our driveway and know that all our hard work is going towards something other then down the drain is priceless. However the feeling I get when I open my bills sucks- bigger place bigger bills. This is the only time I miss the draper condo! Also we are learning so much from my bro and sis in-law on how to change fuses, how to winterize and ect., grateful they live close. We are just very happy with what we have, never mind about the decline in house values we won't go there- lol!

After moving to the Lehi area we decided that we wanted to start attending the Samoan ward-Lehi 42nd. Other then my home ward Laie 1st- I have never felt more at home then I feel in this ward. I have been inactive for a huge part of my life and coming to this ward has been a blessing to both me and my family. Vete started to go to church and he has struggled with things in his life and this ward has fellowshipped him back to church and I will forever be in debt to this ward for that alone. It's been a long time coming and I never thought that I would be going to church with my husband, I cherish the moments that we have just sitting together as a family in church. Since moving to this ward I have been called to the relief society, and Vete has been called to the Elders Quorum, these callings have been challenging but they have helped both of us grow spiritually. This past June 2010 our family was sealed in the Draper temple. I look back on that day and it was pretty hectic before and after the sealing but the sealing itself was beautiful. I have never been this happy before, it's amazing how everything falls into place when you put the Lord first in your life. So whats going on with us now? Tai is in preschool, and he is four years old and growing up too quick. He is so smart, and just like me very clumsey. I think Vete and I will push academics on this kid, but who knows he may surprise Vete and I and be more of an athlete when he gets older. He is the tallest in his preschool class and we just hope he starts to put on weight so that he can grow horizontally aswell. He is in to Super why right now, and his favorite color is purple and what can I say about this kid, other then he is the bomb- the center of me and Vetes world! Vete is busy with work and we rarely see him because of his calling but would nothave it any other way. I'm still working, will be working till the day I die- but I cannot complain, I am grateful for my job and it's security. I'm working out again trying to lose all the weight , but this time around I'm in it for the long haul and not the quick fix. I'm also preparing to go back to school, and hoping and praying I get in. This year has allowed us to grow in so many ways, and I hope I can stay consistent with blogging this time around so that I can capture all the memories.

FHE pumpkin activity

2010-10-28T10:37:00.003-06:00

We spray painted pumpkins and painted them for FHE. They are not the cutiest things but at least we have some kind of decor reflecting the holidays, because I'm so lazy oops I mean busy to put up decor and then turn around and take them down. This is as festive as I can get, and Tai didn't get paint everywhere- so all in all great FHE.

Farm Country Field trip

2010-10-28T10:16:00.006-06:00

Field trip to Farm Country, this place stinks so bad- but my nose started to tolerate the smell the longer I was there.

Tai loved it there, too bad it's too cold to go back. Had a blast!

First dentist appointment

2010-10-22T19:45:00.005-06:00

Took Tai to his first dentist appointment, he goes to the "out of this world" dental office in Draper. This office is pretty cool, the lobby is very kid friendly and the staff is super nice and accommodating to kids. It was a great experience Tai wants to go back, and we will be going back not only because its cool but he's got 4 cavities. Yes shame on mommy, good thing we have good insurance.

Ice cream truck

2010-10-22T18:38:00.007-06:00

The ice cream truck comes by our house everyday and as soon as Tai hears the tune he starts to cry for an ice cream. At the beginning of the summer the ice cream truck came by and I had a dollar, so I took Tai out to get something from the truck. To my amazement did not have enough cash to buy an ice cream- talk about rip off ice cream prices. So from that time on when the ice cream truck passes bye with its annoying tune, and my son starts begging for an ice cream- the answer has always been a no, and it's followed by a sad lil boy. Since it was the end of the summer and I had more then a dollar on me, I decided to give in. The ice cream truck drove bye with its annoying tune, and I told my son lets go get one- he was so excited and happy. For that day I was a cool Mom, I just had to blog about this because when my son grows up and tells me I never get anything from the ice cream truck I have proof-lol. Now if it was the manapua truck this would be a different story.....

Lately.......

2009-09-12T02:57:00.016-06:00

So much has gone on lately I don't know where to begin. Summer has been over for a while now and I had no vacation, no tan, of course fell off the work out routine, but I still had a blast! Spent most of the summer days working, but still filled in a lot of time to spend with the family- and build memories. Our summer was very simple, spent many cool afternoons under a shaded tree watching Tai play at a neighborhood park. Went to various fairs and festivals, walks to great harvest for our favorite treats, and bikes rides to our favorite destination jamba juice. I think this summer I realized how much I take for granted, how much I love my family both near and far, and how much my Heavenly Father loves me and looks out for me in every way. We started the summer excitedly awaiting the birth of our baby, unfortunately we lost the baby. The only experience I have ever had with a tough loss was when my grandma died, but I was really young when that happened. We have great family and friends that have shown their support, and things like this happen all the time. But I think the sudden shock and change just hit us really hard. Vete and I are at a place now that we are ok with what happened, we can talk about it and not want to break down and cry. Knowing that we can rely on our Heavenly Father and the he is always there for us, brings us so much comfort. All we can do now is move on and try again.

A lot has happened with Tai, he is officially potty trained. This kid amazes me, regardless of the fact that it took him a while- once he was ready to be potty trained he got it. I was hesitant to let him sleep without a diaper, or go out and run errands with him without putting a diaper on him- but I had nothing to worry about. Once I started to trust him that he would ask me to go potty, or go on his own, then he was fine. I love it, makes life so much easier. Tai also sleeps in his own bed which is a huge leap forward for Vete and for Tai. Vete loves to cuddle with his son, and Tai loves it as well- but with two moefiki's(sorry for the spelling) I need my space and my sleep. So I got a killer deal at Ikea on a bed for Tai, and once we set it up he has stayed in his bed all night and doesn't want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy anymore.

We also have lost our property virginity, and finally bought our first home. We were hesitant to buy because Vete is in school, and that alone is a huge financial and time burden. But the cost of homes, and the tax credits really got us off the fence. When we found the home that was perfect for us, we knew we had to get it. We are now in Lehi and love it, but we miss the convenience of Draper, everything was walking distance away (not that we walked). We also miss the Draper condo, so much of my growing up happened while we were living there. I became a Mother, I slowly matured into an adult, we had our first Christmas together there, I learned how a keep a home and to take care of my family. We had so many memories in the four years that we lived at the condo, and I will miss it. I'm not going to post pictures of the house, only because we are so wanting to host and have people over- so if you are in the area come by and visit(just give me a couple of minutes to stuff all my mess into a closet). J/K once I find my USB cable I'll post pictures, but seriously. Since we moved to Lehi, we decided to attend the Samoan ward out here. All I can say is that I feel like I belong, people are so warm, and so nice and Vete likes it too so that is a huge plus. I liked my Palagi ward, and ward members were friendly but I really felt out of place. We are really happy with our decision to attend the Samoan ward.

Gosh novel yeah, happy holidays everyone!

Remeber the time....

2009-07-18T22:31:00.008-06:00

I have been trying for the longest time to upload my high school photos before I post this but I give up it's not working. So it's been ten years since I've walked the halls of old Kahuku High, and I have nothing but fond memories of my Alma mater the greatest high school ever. Kahuku was known for academics, athletics, and the best song fest ever (sorry Harm you know I luv Kam)- forget the all the bad stuff anyone has heard of Kahuku they were all just rumors- j/k. So in my eyes Kahuku was the bomb! I miss the days when we would pass the old Kahuku church riding on the school bus after a game and someone would pound on the bus seats and everyone in bus would start singing the Alma mater "In old Kahuku stands our Alma Mater
Where the salt winds blow day after day.......", every single time we hit the last lines of the Alma mater "All hail, Kahuku, hail!" right when the bus stops in front of the gym. I also remember the infamous "you get one quata?" askers at the front of the lunch line. The CP's roaming the school looking for a cutter, I'm proud to say that I never cut class- I actually never had the guts to cut class always so afraid of what my parents might do. I remember our lunch table my friends and I always ate at, right by the stage- or even the side of the cafe we use to hang out at during recess. I also remember every Friday at the last block of the day we had an assembly, and they were always the best. High school was great for me not because I dated the cutest guy, or I partied a lot- which are the things I wish I did or could do. But partly because I had a great group of friends who were all about having clean fun, and for the most part were drama free. It's rare that you have friends that you went to elem. school, intermediate, and high school together and to this day they are still my best friends. Everyone who grew up with me knows that I was always on lock down- couldn't go anywhere or do anything unless it was school related. That is why I got involved in every single club or activity, I was able to go to dances that way and actually have a tiny bit of a social life, never mind that my Mom was there as a chaperon, at least I was out of my house. I miss those days playing sports: volleyball, basketball, tennis, and even paddling for one year - practices and games were a huge bulk of high school for me. Although I didn't have the skills to play at a collegiate level, I learned a lot from my team mates and coaches- and I learned a lot about myself. I could go on about my high school years at Kahuku, but I think their is a cap on how many words allotted on a post. To sum it up I would not do those years over again, but I will definitely never forget all the fond memories I had at Kahuku- pride of the North shore!

Our president Marina Toelupe aka Fonoimoana, organized a mainland reunion which was suppose to be at a park but changed to be held at her home due to the wheat her. Although just a handful of us showed up it was fun to get together and visit with everyone. Everyone has grown up, we all have families- I am the one with the least amount of children but I'm working on it. Uila one of my best friends flew in from Hawaii just for the reunion. Later that week we had a surprise baby shower for Uila and Teizi, Juaul, Edna, and Tupu all came to celebrate. Before Uila went back to Hawaii Juaul, Uila, Tupu and I went out to eat- and it seemed like a class reunion lasted a week. Good to see everyone, wish I could make it to the Hawaii one in oct09, but I don't want to show up looking like an elephant I'll be about 7 months by then. I'll wait to see pics., and hear stories!

Big boy hair cut

2009-07-10T14:10:00.006-06:00

We cut Tai's beautiful light blondish brown curly hair! He has been asking us to cut it, I'm also so tired of hearing people call him a girl and since it's so hot out we thought it's time. Vete didn't want to come with me because it was too hard on him, (I know what a big baby). I took him to cookie cutters again and the lady saw his hair and was like- "are you sure you want to cut this beautiful hair"? I told her, "not to ask me again because it was a hard decision and I might change my mind"- but of course I said it nicely. She started to buzz the sides and as the long curls fell to the ground I wanted to tell her to "stop!", "that's enough", but this is want he wanted it's not what we want anymore. When she was done it was like seeing a different Tai, he still looks like my lil boy just different. When we got home, Vete couldn't stop laughing- Tai just stood there wondering what his Dad was laughing at. Vete doesn't like it, and now is determined to grow his hair out again- I'll get to that battle when it comes. For now I'm enjoying my new sons look, he does look more palagi but I think it's growing on me!

Apple a day keeps the dentist away....

2009-06-28T00:33:00.007-06:00

So this post is about my husband, I'm so mad at him or maybe myself , or maybe just jealous in a way. It's the end of the fiscal year with our benefits I made dentist appointments for Vete and I. It's been about a year and a half since I have gone to the dentist and had a lot of pain in one tooth and really needed a check up. I hate to admit but I floss occasionally, I brush my teeth twice a day, but I do have a love for chocolate- love that stuff! Vete on the other hand never flosses, I rarely see him brush his teeth before bed, and he eats a lot of candy but not as much as me. I asked Vete "so how long has it really been since you've seen the Dentist?", his response "probably since before I went on my mission, which was about I think ten years ago." He's had no pain nothing all this time but I convinced Vete that he needs to go in and get a check up. In the back of my mind I already new we would have to spend a lot out-of-pocket for me because I knew I needed a lot of work, I didn't want to think about how much out-of-pocket we needed to spend on him. So we go in and who gets scolded by the Dentist, and then has to have countless filings and lets not mention the root canals that need to be done- yes that is me. Then who is the one that gets praised by the dentits and only needs 2-3 fillings and 1 root canal, yes that would be my husband who has not seen the dentist in over ten years. The dentist tells my husband that he's got really good genes, not only are his teeth really healthy but so are his gums. I'm happy for him but he loves to rub it in, and now remembers to floss and brush twice a day- only because he feels obligated to keep up his good report with the dentist. How ironic!

Are you pregnant yet?

2009-06-15T17:11:00.007-06:00

It seems like as soon as I gave birth to Tai, the question "are you pregnant yet?" was frequently asked- no joke. So after three years of trying, and never ever being on birth control I started asking myself that question. I always wanted my kids a year a part, or close together so they would have close relationships- and I could make use of hand-me-downs (it's just the cheap in me). For a while there I accepted the fact that Tai would be the only child, and Vete and I were both ok with that. But I knew that Tai would miss out on a lot being the only child. Finally I am so excited to say that yes "I am pregnant" and I can finally give Tai the sibling that he has always wanted. I did try the clomide (spelling) thing, but excited to say when I got pregnant it was natural and I was not on any type of fertility pill- there is only one heart beat when the Doctor checked. I just have to add that anyone out there that is still trying to get pregnant don't stress, because it will happen when you least expect it. I was one of those people that took a pregnancy test the day I was late, sometimes a day or two early and you don't need details but lets say we were very strict on following through on my fertility days. It was a long journey for us and the week I found out I was pregnant, I actually had another appointment to see the Doctor to get back on the Clomide. This pregnancy came out of no where, of course we wanted it but we accepted the disappointment of a negative test so that it would be easier to take. Vete was skeptical even after I took 3 pregnancy test and they all came out positive, he was so happy but would not show his emotions until I confirmed it with the Doctor. Once the doctor did the ultra sound and confirmed it, he was so excited and called everyone he knew. Vete is dying for a Lil girl, but I have a feeling it will be another boy because the pregnancy feels the same as to when I was pregnant with Tai. But we both really don't care, after trying so long we are happy to be adding another special spirit to our lil family. January 24, 2010 our bundle of joy will arrive and we cannot wait, seriously this pregnancy is already too long!

My baby no more......

2009-05-28T17:06:00.012-06:00

My little baby is now three years old- tear, tear- makes me so sad because he’s becoming more and more independent from me. I know that’s a good thing but pretty soon he will be talking back to me, disobeying me, causing chaos- wait a minute he does that now, the bad thing is I know that will all increase ten fold. Up until now Tai has been the perfect lil boy, his smiles melt my heart, he never gives a kiss without a hug to go with it, he picks up his toys after playing with it and he’s my greatest blessing. I know I’m a sucker for this kid and will give anything and everything to him- I think if Vete wasn’t around to put his foot down I really would go broke getting Tai anything his little heart desires. This is a weakness I have, and a reality I haven’t realized until lately.

When Tai was born he was a good baby, rarely cried, even if he did his cry was the cutest thing to me. He was a little late in crawling and walking mainly because I always carried him, but he never had the terrible two’s and rarely threw fits. Vete and I thought to ourselves, if he doesn’t get the terrible two’s by 2 ½ then he probably will never get it. Hello, amateur parents here- we did not realize the fury of Tai- the lil monster we were creating.- ok “I was” creating. My form of discipline was timeout, and it has worked so far. I point to the corner when he does something bad and he sits down and folds his arms, and stays there until his time is up. However as my lil angel turns into a lil devil I have recently fallen back to my parent’s method of discipline “the hand will talk when the mouth is too tired”. Tough love is a lesson that I am still learning, and I know my greatest fear is turning this kid into a “momma’s boy” so I have to stick with it.

I just hope Tai that this year brings you happiness, and joy- and that this isn’t an early sign of headaches to come for your Mommy. Please continue to be my little angel, please, please, please! Tai won’t have a party this year, we are going to take him out to eat, probably take him to watch the movie “Up”, and have him pick out his bike that he has been asking for the longest. I promised him that he will get a party next year- oh and Tai is also going to get something that he has always wanted, to be continued……

Weekend getaway!

2009-05-26T09:23:00.010-06:00

Vete and I are the definition of old farts! We have been together for about nine years (5 dating and 4 married), seems like an eternity- for realz. Our favorite past time is co zing up on the couch and watching movies. We have not been able to do much of this lately, but when we do have the time it's a joy. I know so boring but no shame here, Vete and I are pretty mellow people and enjoy keeping things low key and quiet. This year we celebrate our 4Th year wedding anniversary, although I'm embarrassed to admit this is the first time we celebrated our anniversary. We have forgotten all about it the first three years, we both have very bad memories. Because of our limited funds we decided to just pick up some Cafe rio and eat at a park, but because it rained we ended up coming home and Vete studied. It was ok because school is our focus right now, but inside I really felt like doing something fun and different. Luckily Vete sister invited us to come with them to camp and fish up Scofield, I was really excited- I needed to get out of the mundane. Vete was kind of on the fence he didn't know what to expect but was willing to go up for a day and check it out, I told Vete this would be our way to really celebrate our anniversary because it was the same week. We went up to scofield Friday afternoon, it's 30 min past the Spanish Fork Canyons, and the drive is beautiful. I've been in Utah for about ten years and never been up that way before, I felt like I was in a different state. Let me tell you this is not camping, we stayed at a beautiful cabin, we had hot running water, our room looked like a hotel room, and the view was so pretty! Vete went fishing with his nieces and brother-in-law, and Tai tagged along. I guess Tai was a little too excited that he wanted to touch everything that he was not suppose to and when we arrived to the lake Vete was so fed up with him. Tai was such a bad boy at the cabin, he didn't listen to a word I said and my strategy of a time out didn't work so well out there. When this kid is with his cousins he seems to think that he can do and get away with anything- which he pretty much did, but he got it when we got home! Anyways Tai had so much fun, he made smores, rode Pine's 4-wheeler, disobeyed his Momma and got away with it and was just in heaven seeing and playing with all his cousins. Although it rained a lot we had a lot of fun, and had a great experience- thanks Peni! Happy 4th anniversary to my teddy bear I hope we remember to celebrate it next year-lol! My camera is acting funny., pic to come soon.

Our Cali trip

2009-04-25T21:27:00.038-06:00

Our 3 day trip to Cali for Sister Bethams home coming was fun, crazy, exhausting and hot to say the least. Tai had his suitcase packed four days earlier and every morning he woke up he'd grabbed his suitcase, drag it to the door and would say "disneyland, disneyland, disneyland"! He was so excited the morning we were leaving Utah he got his backpack on, and his suitcase and was by the door waiting 30 minutes before we planned to leave. We got to the airport and he was so amazed by the planes, and was so excited to board. Vete didn't come with us, my Mom told him the wrong dates to get off and when we realized the homecoming was a week after it was too late for him to get it off. Vete stayed and he had a really hard time, not that he missed me but he missed Tai like crazy.

When we arrived to Cali it was crazy hot, we got to the house and everyone was just hanging out. My Mom planned on taking all of us to Disneyland and because that week was spring break we were not able to use her discount, so we ended up going to Knotts Berry Farm. I was still excited, but I had to stop bringing Disneyland up because my son was so set on going there. So before going to Knotts we went to a near by park to have lunch. This park is pretty cool they had a water feature there and Tai went crazy I had to drag him away from the water so that we could head out to Knotts before the sun went down.

As we drove up to the park nostalgia hit of various times I went to Knotts as a kid. Back in the day we would visit Cali to see my Mom and Dads family and of course we would hit up all the amusement parks. Granted it's not like Disney, the only character Knotts has is Snoopy but it's just as fun in my opinion. But I have to admit their was a moment at knotts where I could've been nominated as the worst parent in the world. I didn't think Tai was afraid of hieghts but the first ride we went on was like a mini free fall for kids. Tai screamed to the top of his lungs and was so terrified. After that ride he didn't trust me anymore and refused to go on any other rides, even the little kiddie ones that barely did anything. He did notice the Wells fargo horse carriage going round the park and wanted to ride the horse so we went on that, but other then that he basically stayed on the side with my Mom while I helped my sis with the other little kids. It's a good thing we know how Tai is at amusement parks now, because Vete and I wanted to take him to Disneyland in Aug. because we felt bad that he didn't go this trip but maybe we'll wait for next year. Best thing about Knotts is their Funnel cake, in all it's deep fried glory. We waited on the side of splash mountain with Tai and my lil neice Roz and got some funnel cakes. Gosh these are the bomb, I can never think of Knotts and not think of these golden, crispy, delish funnel cakes- and I will not think about the calories I probably inhailed , we'll leave that part out of my memories. We left Knotts tired and exhausted, and when we got back to the house my lil brother was home and we visited till late that night.

The next morning we headed for Rialto to help my lil cousin Taylor with his Eagle project. The week prior they in put the irrigation system, and the week we were there they planted the trees. My sister took Tai to my aunts wards easter egg hunt and we were suppose to help but we ended up just walking around and taking pic's while the youth and the men of the ward did all the work. My cousin did an excellent job of organizing the project because it turned out very well, and afterwards we ate and kicked back.

We then headed back to long beach and started to get things ready for the togai on sunday. My sis kept begging my parents to just go to a buffet afterwards with just the immediate family, but my parents just had to invite everyone and their dog to come- that we couldn't afford to pay for 100+ people to eat at a buffet. My Mom and my sisters had to do most of the work because my lil bro and Dad had to work- so us ladies put the up tents, set up tables and chairs, shopping, cooking, cleaning we were crazy busy. My Dad kept adding more food items to the menu and that meant more shopping til late in the night. It all came together well and turned out really good, we ran out of food right in the end but everyone had seconds- we just didn't have enough plates for people to take home. I totally agree with my sis a buffet would have been so much better, but what can you do! I said my goodbyes to my family and headed out to the airport- it was sad but I could not wait to get home. I took some Kalo, corn beef, and 2 plates of seafood home with me on the plane for Vete. When we got home Vete called his sister Nica over to come eat cause there was tons of food. I felt so bad because the next morning Nica called and said that she threw up 3 times and had major diarehea- I think it was the crab because Vete had everything else but the crab and he was fine. Nica was joking that she thought my family was trying to kill her, and then Vete added that my family was probably trying to kill him because the crab was suppose to be for him. I have to add my family loves you all- lol!

This is my beautiful niece Hazel Claire, I almost took her home with me, maybe next time!

Happy late easter!

2009-04-22T01:21:00.008-06:00

This year we finally got up early and made it to the Draper easter egg hunt. We have been hearing that Draper's easter egg hunt is one of the best, and we were not disappointed. They had a great ratio of easter eggs to kid, and face painting, balloons, breakfeast and other fun activities.

Tai took one look at the clown

and ran away before she could finish his balloon!

My family also had an easter egg hunt and their were only three young kids so they all had a little area covered in easter eggs to themselves.

Tai had a great easter, maybe next year I'll start teaching him the real meaning of easter!

Cowabunga Bay

2009-04-15T10:28:00.003-06:00

It's so exciting to see this water park being built, almost in our front yard! They annouced this neighborhood waterpark to be built in December2008, and we thought it would be built in the fall 2009. But to our excitement it's going up really fast, and should be done this summer. I'm so going to get season passes for Tai and I and - this is my current motivation to get back in the gym again after a long vacation. Can't wait for cowabunga bay!

What happened to the Blogspot camper?

2009-04-13T11:11:00.027-06:00

Man my life is usually a bore, and I'm usually a blogspot camper but lately things have been crazy. My body is still adjusting from the lack of sleep, over eating, and an over load of family time. Two weeks ago my husband's sister's family came from Portland, OR to spend some time with family and attend a brother-in-laws wedding. All of my husbands family lives here in Utah except them, so we spent every free moment we had staying up late to visit, going to the movies, doing some family activities together.

Tai was in Heaven but as the week wore down the lack of sleep hit him and he was turning into the biggest brat. Who can blame him I'm the same way, I think we all get a little cranky here and there. Even though he was a brat he got really attatched to his cousin Dallin and especially his cousin Kahailei, who he has only seen about twice in his life. Vete's neices and nephews all have age groups and it was the cutest this to see my son get along and play with his age group.

Sisilia got baptised that weekend and this girl is like Tai's older sister, she is 8 years old and this is a post on it's own so I'll post about this beautiful girl later. After the baptism we went to the wedding and then said our goodbyes. It was good to see the Loo family and hope we will be able to see them again soon.

The next weekend my older sister gave birth to number 6 - baby Nunia Amuamu Toki, she is beautiful, healthy and filling out everyday. Although my sister has made some tough decisions in her life she is a great example to me, because she is a survivor and a hard worker and preserveres through her struggles. I love her and congratulate her and Pete on their new arrival and my neices and nephews on their new baby sister. When my neice was born my Mom called and told me that she was coming to visit baby Nunia and my Dad was coming too, I was totally shocked. My Dad is the definition of a work-a-holic, he never takes a vacation, rarley calls in sick and we rarely see him when we visit because he is always working. I was pleasantly surprised to hear my Mom and Dad were coming to visit, and it was so nice to have them here. They only stayed for the weekend and then returned home. My younger sister Saolo returned home from her mission in Romania the wed. before conference. She was released that night and she and my Mom flew to Utah the next thursday to attend conference. I picked them up and was so excited to see my sister after a year and a half, she looked the same but she cut her hair short because long hair was too hard for her to manage on the mission. As soon as we started driving I realized although my sister stated that she is more compassionate and chartiable towards others she is still the sister I remembered- still lil miss opinionated and we got into an arguement. My poor Mom was in the back laughing at us, telling us some things never change.

My Auty Katie and her family also came down from Cali to attend conference and my siblings and I came up with a plan of how to host everyone. How come I eneded up doing all the hosting, cooking, cleaning, I am such a sucker! Anyways while my family was here we celebrated my 28th birthday on apr 5th, it was very nice to have my family here and celebrate with them. Birthdays aren't special anymore, just another year- however I am grateful for another year to spend with my family and for the countless blessing I have recieved- and not to mention the birthday check from my bomb in-laws! You like the emergency candle on my cake?

As my family started to head out my son got so sad, although it was a whirlwind for a couple of days - Tai was in Heaven seeing so much people. He got really attatched to my Mom and my niece Roz. They did so much together and he cried the morning my mom and baby Roz left- poor lonely old kid there is only so much I can do.

We have a nice mellow week to spend with our little family, and then Tai and I head to Cali for my sisters homecoming. Tai is so excited because his Grandma promised him Disneyland, but I think I'm more excited then he is.

Baby Taylia

2009-03-01T22:16:00.002-07:00

Beaver and Jenna welcomed a beautiful baby girl Taylia Ho Ching. We went to visit the new bundle of perfection and she is beautiful, healthy, and looks very much like her sister Taijen. Congrats Beave and Jen!

Our new addition......

2009-02-19T17:05:00.015-07:00

Yes finally!

Bringing his fish home

Giving fish a huge hug to welcome him home

Tai could not stop staring

Tai would not leave his fishy side, afraid mommy might return him!

Petco has been our go to place for Tai to burn some energy, see some cool animals and have a little fun! We live right next to Petco, and I have been taking him there since he started to walk and so far I have not bought a single thing. I took him there the other day and the first thing he sees as we walked in was a elmo fish tank. Tai never throws tantrums ever, but as soon as he sees this Elmo fish tank he goes crazy screaming his head off, jumping around- I was so embarassed. I took him in the corner and we won't go into details but to sumarize I told him to calm down and we can get a treat. As we walked around he tightly grasped the tank never letting it go, until he spots a spaceship tank- so he puts the Elmo tank down and grabs the spaceship. My initial plan was to let him hold it and then distract him as he was looking at an animal and then quickly put the tank away. It was a little hard because he would not let go of the spaceship. Vete and I are not animal people, I know a fish isn't a big deal but when I was in college I bought a little fish just for fun. Well the fish died on the same day I got it, I thought the fish would like some sunlight so I left the fish next to the window and I guess it boiled to death. I came home and the fish was floating at the top, mind you I was 20 at the time- and felt like the biggest idiot. So I didn't care to much about getting a fish even for Tai- ok I just didn't trust myself taking care of one. But I started thinking and Tai is probably not going to have a sibling for a while, so might as well get him a little companion that will stay put and not smell. So Tai won he got his fish and since Tai has survived his Mommy so far, I guess the fish will survive me too!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T12:57:00.007-07:00

Knock , knock
Whose there? Sherwood
Sherwood who?
Sherwood like to be your Valentine!

Twinkle twinkle goes my lil' star

2009-02-10T13:23:00.003-07:00

Tai loves to sing, even though it's mostly out of tune we love to hear it!

Our American Idol

2009-02-10T11:46:00.008-07:00

Our American Idol- singing his Twinkle remix. Tai would so be the the contestant on American idol that swears he can sing because his mommy and daddy told him he was the bomb.- future William Hung, j/k!

Baby Jimmy turns 2

2009-02-08T22:10:00.003-07:00

Baby Jimmy turned 2 today, and we had a little get together at my brothers house. This kid is 9 months younger then Tai, but you can tell they are cousins because they are both very shy. Happy birthday baby Jimmy we luv u!

Draper Temple open house

2009-02-07T16:35:00.010-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Draper temple open house, it was a beautiful experience. We were going to go earlier but Utu called and had tickets for us so we ended up going with the Kaili's, Nica, and Tai. I have never been to a Temple open house before but I really wanted to go the Draper open house for a couple of reasons. In the summer when it was being built Vete, Tai, and I would take Sunday drives up there and even though only the yellow boards were up at the time- it was still a breath taking view. I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day saints all my life but unfortunately I was very inactive in my early twenties and still to this day have not gone through the temple yet. But each day I'm preparing and working towards that eternal goal. Before we boarded the bus that would shuttle us to the Temple we watched a short little video clip on the history of Draper, and the meaning of temples. I believe it was Elder Holland I could be wrong because I have a really bad memory but he said, "in the temples we are sealed to our families for eternity- and to him Heaven would not be Heaven without his wife and his children by his side." Of course I know that but the reality of not being sealed at that very moment brought tears to my eyes, because my husband and my son mean everything to me. When we got to the temple and started the tour words cannot describe the feelings that I felt as I walked through the building. I of course started to cry and tried to walk faster then everyone else so they wouldn't notice. I was in awww by everything it was just beautiful. I had a great experience and cannot not wait to be sealed to my family! I love that qoute "it doesn't matter where you begin, but where you end up", it gives me a huge sense of gratitude and hope! Here's a million pictures that I took and just had to post them all!

Tai and some of his favorite cousins Sisi and Moni. Tai held on to this pole so tight, he was too scared to let go even to move his hair from his eyes.

Everyone in the shuttle on our way to the Temple.

Can you tell we love this picture!

Sick Bebe

2009-02-07T14:23:00.005-07:00

For the past week Tai has been feeling under the weather. He has been suffering from a cough, running nose, and loss of appetite- among other things! He's better now, his cough has kind gone away but he still has a running nose. Of course Tai wasn't that sick where he had to go see a doctor, I mean it was pretty much a basic cold where something over the counter would do. But this stirred up a couple of arguments between Vete and I over what type of medicine to give him, please help me if you have any suggestions. So we had the triaminic strips which worked good when Tai was younger but now that he is older he refuses to take it because he doesn't like it when the strip sticks to the roof of his mouth. He ends up scratching all of it off and then starts to scream because he scratched his gums too hard. So first Vete went to the grocery store to get medicine for Tai but came home with juice and no medicine- Vete told me they either had infant or childrens cough syrup. I was pretty mad at him because it was 12am and Tai was coughing and I just cannot go to bed comfortably knowing my son doesn't have anything to soothe his throat. But we gave Tai the juice and yes it helped him go to bed, but I was still mad at Vete because any medicine is better then nothing at all. The next day I went to the store to get some medicine and realized what my husband was right- their is no over the counter cough syrup for toddlers; his weight and age was too low or too high for infant or children s medicine. So I ended up getting the children cough syrup because he was 4 pounds away from the recommended age and when I got home I tried to hurry and get Tai to take his medicine before Vete could see what type of medicine I got. Well he was right there looking over my shoulder and picked up the bottle of cough syrup and would not let me give him the medicine because he did not reach the recommended weight. We of course started to argue again, and then came to a compromise of giving him the children s cough syrup but just a little. I started to pour the cough syrup on to a spoon, and a tiny little drop came out and Vete told me to stop and that was enough. Of course I continued to pour the medicine and it covered at least half the spoon and as I gave it to Tai, Vete and I watched Tai closely- like idiots expecting him to fall over and die of an overdose of too much cough syrup! Luckily Tai is ok, but we are still new at parenting so any suggestions of what type of cough syrup to get for a toddler is welcomed. It will be a miracle if this kid survives his parents.

This Christmas

2009-01-05T15:49:00.008-07:00

The holidays in the Ho Ching household was spent doing our favorite past-time : eating, sleeping, and watching movies. We would stay up till 2am watching movies- Tai too, and then we would sleep in till 12pm or sometimes 2pm. We didn't do this too often because we only had a handful of days off together, but it was nice. I totally gave in and indulged my sweet tooth during the holidays, but now I'm paying for it. But the thing I have been doing and probably won't be able to do for a while is hit the after Christmas sales. I am a very cheap person it's no secret, I love sales, the clearance rack, garage sales, craigslist, ksl the list goes on. For the past 2 years I have been getting away with hitting the after Christmas sales and stocking up on gifts that I know Tai would enjoy by the Christmas following. I'm usually done with Christmas shopping for Tai by mid-january, then I just worry about his stocking come closer to Christmas. But after this Christmas I don't think I can get away with doing that anymore. Although he had fun opening the gifts I got him, he was only attracted to 1 out 5 of the gifts from me (I meant Santa). But, he especially loved the gifts he got from his aunties and grandparents which are things Tai is totally into right now. It's important to me to teach Tai the true meaning of Christmas, and not get him in the mode of expecting and recieving at Christmas time. But I have to admit it's a beautiful moment to see a child eyes light up when they got something they wanted. So I'm still going the cheap route I guess I'll just have to join the brave and determined crowd on black friday mornings, to find the things Tai totally wants for Christmas that year. Hopefully I'll get the wide-eyed "mom your the bomb" look next Christmas because I totally flopped as santa this year. But the hit this christmas in Tai's mind was his signing/abc's/number dog, doodle board for bathtime, elmo toothbrush and toothbrush holder and everything in his stocking. His favorite though is his Kareoke machine, Tai loves to sing and has been using a bike pump, broom, old karoke mic, and tv remotes as a microphone. But now Tai has his very own micrphone, and knows how to use it. Our poor neighbors probably cringe when they hear him, but you know Vete and I are his biggest fans and we applaud every performance. That pretty much sums up Christmas for us, whatever makes Tai happy is our goal in life- we are such suckers! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas this year!

A great gift!

2008-12-29T14:47:00.010-07:00

What a great gift to hear from our missionaries on the mission field. My sister Saolo has less then 3 months left on her mission in Romania and we cannot wait until she gets back. Vete's parents have about a year and a half left on their mission in the Phillipines. Last week we had the opportunity to speak with them, it was good to hear their voices and that they are doing well. All of my siblings and their kids met at our place on Christmas Eve to speak to Aunty Olo and she was suppose to call us at 8:30pm after talking to my parents in Cali. We all waited patiently for her call which came at 11pm instead of 8:30 pm, alas is came and we ended up talking past 12pm midnight. But it was all good the kids were excited to open their gifts as soon as they got home. Speaking to Sora Betham was a gift to us all, she told us of her experiences on the mission and with the country of Romania. She spoke of the countless orpahns that run into on-coming traffic to wash windows for any type of monetray payment if any, and she watched so many of these orphans get hit by cars and die. My sister loves little ones and she and her companion visit many orphanages and it kills her to see all these little babies confined in their metal crib totally isolated by any type of human touch. She told us of her experience where their was a baby that started crying when they got to the orphanage and wouldn't stop crying, she stated that no one did anything and it seemed like a good hour passed by. She went against missionary rules and picked the baby up and cuddled the baby as long as she could. Shortly after that she got yelled at by one of the ladies who ran the orphange, and told my sister that the baby she held is now spoiled and will want to be held again. I personally have never been exposed to situations like these and it makes me so ashamed to continually see how much I take for granted. It was a great reminder to my neices and nephews to be grateful for whatever they get for Christmas- but I bet they forgot it as soon as they got home, lets hope I'm wrong. The day after Christmas we got together at Utu's house with Vete's family and we were able to speak with Vete's parents and Nica(who is visiting them during the holidays) on the webcam. We didn't speak to them very long because they were needed elsewhere, but it was good to see and hear from them. My love goes out to all the missionaries on the mission field who are giving their all in spreading the gospel. It helps me magnify my small but important calling of being a visiting teacher. I miss Sora Betham, and President and Sister Ho Ching- you are great examples to our little family and cannot wait for the day that you all get back. That will definitely be a sad day in the Phillipines and Romania!

BTW Olo and the other missionaries on the mission made a little Christmas video, I have no skills and unable to download it to my blog so here it the link-
http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n8/betham72/?action=view¤t=JingleMovie.flv

Visit from Mamma Mia!

2008-12-22T10:52:00.007-07:00

My Mom came to town a week ago, and it was a jam packed 3 days of family get togethers and outings. She brought Gomery's oldest daughter baby Roz with her and seriously Tai treated her like she was his little sister. He would follow her around the house and tell her "Aua baby" when she was not suppose to touch something, and he would give her snacks and toys to play with. It was so cute to see, my son is going to be a great big brother someday. While my Mom was here we took her to get her hair done, and she got a Dora-looking haircut so all the grandkids were calling her Big Dora- she loved it. Then we all went shopping, and bowling, and the day she left we had a little family Christmas party. I have to be honest my siblings and I have our issues with each other but for the sake of the holidays and my Mom's visit we set that aside and enjoyed each others company, it was great. Tai got in a fight with one of his cousins and ended up with a black-eye, although he didn't retaliate or hit back the black-eye made him look like a little scrapper. Of course I felt sorry for my son because he did not deserve it, but what can you do kids will be kids. It was a great weekend and I was very thankful that my Mom was able to get time off and visit us. We really miss her and wish they would move here but as long as it snows in Utah they will remain in Cali.

Mom and some of the grandaughters

The girls modeling their Ofu's

Baby Roz and my mom, first time Baby Roz has seen snow

Mom and all the Utah grandkids

Tai, Drew, and Baby Roz on top

Me with the very spolied Baby Roz

Tai and his fave cuz on my side- she was not the one that gave him his black-eye

Work it Nacho!

2008-12-15T15:50:00.004-07:00

Vete begged me not to post these pictures, but I couldn't resist- sorry love. Gabe and Heather threw a Christmas party this year and we had to wear out favorite Christmas sweaters. Vete and I got our sweaters from Deseret Industries, but of course Vete's vision of his attire for the party did not stop there. When we were about to leave he comes out of the bathroom with his beard reduced to this ridiculous mistache, and the rest of his wardrobe reflected Nacho libre- what a hottie! But I have to say Chet got the best gift ever, a picture of his brother-in-law in a questionnable pose, wrapped in a granny panty- priceless. Gabe and Heather did a great job in hosting the party, it was a lot of fun. Vete will appreciate this post when Tai grows up and see's how much of a clown his Dad can be!

My palagi boy is samoan on the inside.....

2008-12-02T21:21:00.003-07:00

Before we went over to Utu's house for thanksgiving, we had a little mini thanksgiving brunch with our tiny family. Vete, Tai and I had taro, mamoe, bbq shrimp (thanks Sarana for the recipe), and pisupo- yes no greens in this meal. It was very good, and although my son has very palagi features he is all samoan when it comes to his palate. Tai couldn't get enough taro and pisupo, he loves the stuff- which is good because he can afford to gain a couple pounds. We later spent the rest of the day eating again and again at Utu and Orsons house, and playing with their cutie twins.

Ugh, the scale is my enemy!

2008-12-01T12:01:00.002-07:00

The scale never takes a break, over the Thanksgiving week I gained a whopping 5 pounds. I guess the weight gain was inevitable, during the past month or so I have been struggling just to maintain my weight. I have been going through my work outs just to get them over with, not putting 100% percent into it, and skipping more then a few days. Not to mention I have been sneaking in some cheat items into my so-called diet- (mint oreos, chips, mcdonalds). Today is rededication day, I'm going to get back on my diet and workouts with 100% effort, before I hit the point of no return. I posted me new playlist, music has a way of helping me forget the pain, and the minute by minute dull of the treadmill. If any of you have any favorite workout songs please share..... I would love to update this, thanks Happy Holidays!

My Boys

2008-11-28T17:46:00.003-07:00

This post is dedicated to my 2 boys, the blessings that I will be forever in debt for.
I'm thankful for my husband for the following reasons:
1. Of course without him I would not have my son Tai who is my inspiration.
2. He is the coolest person, in chaotic or calm sitautions he stays cool and doesn't react but responds.
3. Very organized, does the sorting of the laundry, pantry, closet- everything that I make a disarray and mess of he organizes.
4. Great cook, when Vete does cook it's always good!
5. My best friend, knows what I'm thinking and feeling without saying a word.
6. His constant love for me; through my many moods, my sporadic and random conversations, my weight gain/loss and then gain again, through it all and as hard as it is to love me you do and I'm thankful for you!
I'm thankful for my son Tai for the following reasons and more:
1. Tai is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.
2. The one and only person that I can never be apart from for more then a couple of hours.
3. His smile melts my heart.
4. He inspires me to work harder.
5. He is the motivating force behind everything I do, my goals and my dreams for the future.
6. He is the reason I cannot stop smiling, the reason why I look foward to another day, the reason why I want many more little munchkins just like him, and the reason why I am the luckiest Mother in the world.
I love my two boys and they make my life a complete joy, when I count my blessings I count you two a million times over!

NKOTB Concert

2008-11-18T17:47:00.006-07:00

I went to the NKOTB concert with my sil's and my cousins (Louisa & Marieta- I claim my husbands family as my own). It was so much fun, the little boy band crazed girl in me came out and it was a blast. My sil Nica got the best seats we were 5 rows from the front stage, we could see their sweat (lol)! I was 5 yrs old when NKOTB came out and I got to know them through my sister because she listened to them a lot, and it was a dream come true to see them live in concert. I know I'm 27 yrs old and I'm a mother and a wife, but ya know what we are still entitled to be as immature as we want- I think sometimes I take advantage of that a little too much but who cares. Lady Gaga performed and then Natahsa B. they were really good, and can really sing. Then NKOTB came to the stage and they are middle-aged but they still got it, they look good and they can sing. I gotta back track here cause the only downside of the concert is my dang camera died so I don't have too many pictures of the concert. I was so mad out of all the times it could have died it had to be that night. Also a couple of days before the concert my son broke my glasses, and I didn't have time to fix it so I was a dork and taped it together and wore it that night. Other then that the whole experience was awesome, my husband kept teasing that the ladies at the concert would probable throw their granny panties to the stage. It was funny because a lady in front of us threw her bra and it went right behind the security guard- man the bra looked old and over used. While NKOTB were singing someone from the audience through a shirt to Donny W. and it said "I love Mormon girls" and he put it on! Over all it was a great concert, a great time away from my husband and son- and great time to act like I was a child again. And yes I purposely dressed like "where's waldo?" so that they would notice me- and it didn't work!

Found it!

2008-11-10T20:10:00.007-07:00

Halloween night was the night I lost my camera, and I've never been so lost. I didn't know what to do, so many lost memories, so much to blog about but how could I without a picture to upload. It was a hard time for me, but hooray I finally found my camera that was in Tai's nike bag, that was smashed in the seat compartment of his toy truck- and why didn't I look there first. Ok so nothing much has happened in the Ho Ching household, the past couple weeks has been pretty much the same old thing. Tai was a pirate for Halloween and he did not want to take a picture these are the best we could get :

The winter cold has begun and Tai has been spending a lot of time practicing his numbers, and alphabets only because he knows that every time he gets it right he gets a piece of candy from Halloween. Tai is finally using the potty, he is going number 1 really good but is still having a hard time going number 2. It has been snowing a lot in Draper and Tai is just loving it. The first day the snow fell I hurried and got Tai bundle up and he was so excited. When we finally made it outside Tai just pointed at the snow and looked at me and said "snow Mommy, snow", he didn't even touch it. Oh my so much like the Father! Because it is getting so cold we have been spending a lot of time inside which means time to get creative with indoor play. The following is a result of that.

Baby Elliott 99 days

2008-10-28T17:01:00.003-06:00

Whoever watched Oprah today probably has fulla eyes like me from crying like a baby for a whole hour. Oprah did a show today about inspirational stories of children who beat the odds, accomplished their dreams, and who have gone through a lot of adversity. Their was a story of a couple who had a baby boy that was born with a disease where he would not survive past a couple of days. They named their baby Elliot, and he surpassed doctors expectations and survived to live a full 99 days. The couple captured every moment of their sons short life with a video journal, seen on this link (http://www.oprah.com/media/20081001_tows_99balloons). Every day their son was born they celebrated with a birthday party at exactly the time of Elliott birth. Touched my heart and it was just a great reminder to me of how fragile life is and how we never know when each moment will be our last.

The Great 8 Tag

2008-10-25T09:29:00.006-06:00

Got tagged by Tina, here we go!

8 Favorite t.v. shows:
1. LOST
2. No reservations
3. Bizarre foods
4. The biggest loser
5. The game
6. Making the band
7. House Hunters
8. The Daily 10

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Sam Hawk
2. Cafe Rio
3. Taste of Punjab
4. The Hukilau Cafe
5. Cheese Cake Factory
6. Laie Chopsuey
7. The Pie
8. Ruths Chris

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1. kissed Vete goodbye
2. slept in
3. searched the internet for a lab coat for Tai's mad scientist costume
4. had breakfeast
5. took a walk
6. had a snack at great harvest
7. visited with my sister
8. picked up my neices

8 Things to look forward to:
1. When sister Betham, and Mom and Dad Ho Ching come back from their missions
2. when Tai is finally potty trained
3. the day I don't have to work (not anytime soon)
4. Going to the Temple
5. NKOTB concert, oh, oh, ohhhho- the right stuff-lol!
6. our trip to disneyland in a couple of months
7. Every Friday, Vete and I only day off together
8. my alone time by myself in the gym (when it happens)

8 Things on my wish list:
1. Working on my masters when my kids are grown
2. Following Anthony Bourdain's travels around the world and eating the same foods he has eaten on his shows
3. To meet my ideal weight and size
4. To eat what I want and not gain weight
5. Have my children grow up to be happy contributing adults of society, be true to themselves, and to be strong in the church.
6. see my family all get along and support and love each other no matter what
7. To give Tai a sibling, or two, or five......
8. To teach my son by what I do instead of what I say

8 Things I love about Fall:
1. the holidays
2. cool sweater weather
3. hot chocolate
4. black friday
5. holiday family pictures
6. the christmas story
7. a holiday call from the missionaries
8. celebrating my moms birthday

I'll tag Sarana, Harmony, Miki, Alvina, Hine, Peni- and everyone else!

An afternoon with the ducks

2008-10-20T17:35:00.005-06:00

There is a park that I always take Tai to, and just across the park there is a man-made duck pond that we just discovered. We spent the afternoon feeding and wathcing the ducks swim and waddle back and forth. The weather was so beautiful, and Tai just had a ball! I didn't have any bread so we fed the ducks animal cookies, they ate it- just hope we didn't give the ducks any digestive problems. The ducks were quickly crowding towards Tai when they found out he had some food, they were gentle but I just got worried something might happen and ended the feeding frenzy. Seriously I know I'm a cheese ball when it comes to Tai, but I kind of teared up watching him feed the ducks. I had a moment- and just looked at him and saw the greatest blessing my Heavenly Father has ever blessed me with. I love my husband but the love between a parent and a child is the greatest love of all, and I am so grateful for my son. He is growing up so fast his baby days are definitely numbered!

Scarecrow Festival

2008-10-17T17:51:00.004-06:00

Today we went to try out JCW's, and then we went to check out the scarecrow festival at Thanksgiving point. It was a lot of fun, however we felt so sick from the huge burgers and all the junk we ate at the festival- I was ready to puke! We bought this huge thing of kettle corn that was fresh off the kettle and it was warm, sweet, salty, and the bomb- it was so addicting we couldn't stop eating it. The festival was fun, Tai kind of got freaked out by the scarecrows- other then that he loved it. He loves spiders and there was a inflatable one but for some reason got too scared to touch it so he just admired it from afar. They had games, rides, inflatable toys, entertainment and lots of food. The coolest thing we saw was the KSL news helicopter landing in the middle of the festival, Tai loves planes and a helicopter is close enough. We also saw Shawn Bradley, their would have been a picture posted- however Vete begged me not to embarass him by asking Shawn Bradley for one, I don't know why-lol! It was nice to spend some family time with my two babies.

RJ....

2008-10-17T13:17:00.009-06:00

Words to describe my Dad: strict, practical, honest, dependable, hard working, frugal, humble and definitely stubborn. My brothers and sisters and even my husband always say that I'm so much like him, I even have a nickname (RJ: Ron Junior)- I get teased the most by my sisters! I always brush it off and tell them that I just look like him, other then that I am my own person. How ever I have been catching myself doing the things he use to do, saying the things he use to say, and understanding that I tic just like him. My Dad grew up in Samoa and he didn't have a lot of material things and had very little money. When we use to ask for money for lunch- my Dad was always dumbfounded at how much lunch cost for us, he use to tell us that in Samoa his lunch was a coconut and that was it. My sisters and I always had very long hair, and my dad would teach us the rule of a pea, always use just a pea size of shampoo/conditioner, and toothpaste- and that is all you need. I played a lot of sports growing up, and grew really fast vertically when I was younger (now I'm growing horizontally) and my Dad would buy me shoes that were 3 sizes too big so that I would eventually grow into them and keep them longer. Now I realized why I was soooo clumsey, and why I always tripped over myself- but that is a different story. My Day was a saver and was very tight with money, and when we would ask for fast food, his response was "we have food at home". My Dad was always self-employed but in addition he had another job at the Laie temple doing maintenance so that we could all have health insurance. He would wake up every morning at 4am to clean the inside of the visitors center and the outside grounds, and he would have us help him on the weekends. The temple is very prestine, and orderly- so we would be half asleep and doing our little jobs and if it wasn't good enough then we would half to do it again. When we vaccumed it had to be prefect, the vacuum lines had to be straight and exact- I have nigtmares of straight and perfect vaccumed lines till this day- lol! Lately I have really been thinking about the lesson learned from my Dad, and have not appreciated it until I lived on my own, and started my own family. I'm teaching my son the rule of a pea, because Vete won't have it he's is a pretty boy and needs his globs of conditoner-lol. If you have a look at the video of Tai at the gym you can see his shoes, and yes they are 2 sizes too big I just can't help myself. I really try but Vete knows that my stubborness is just the way that I am. I aspire and try to follow my Dad's example, especially while our economy is doing so bad- but he is an original! When I complain about how hard I have to work, I'm quickly humbled just thinking about my Dad. The only fault I have of my own is whenever Tai asks for something I give in- I'm learning though! I love you Dad, from RJ!

My Hercules

2008-10-13T21:15:00.006-06:00

I am the biggest procrastinator when it comes to working out- I wait until the very last possible minute of the day to get it done. So I'm usually working out between 10:30-11:00pm because no one is in the gym at that time, and when I take Tai with me we have it all to ourselves. Tai loves to work out he tries to copy what mommy and sometimes aunty Nica does and is pretty good at following. I do keep a close eye on him when he is in the gym, and we monitor the things he does. It is a crack up seeing him try to lift, and put on a act like he is spent after his little work out- which is what he learned from his mommy who is spent after every work out no matter how small it is. I know I go overboard on the vidoe clips, but I couldn't resist these two.

First cup of the season

2008-10-13T20:56:00.004-06:00

It's just about mid-october and it is freezing outside, it feels like November weather here in Utah. So instead of going for a little walk- Tai and I stayed inside, read some books, and had our first cup of hot chocolate for the season. Times like these makes me really appreciate Utah and its ever changing weather. However I know I will get sick of it in a couple of months, but for now I'm enjoying it!

Tagged

2008-10-07T10:49:00.003-06:00

I got to brag about my husband because he did the cutest thing yesterday. He has been planning with his sister to get me a ticket to the NKOTB concert, and I spoiled his surprise yesterday. When I found out what he was doing I told him it was too expensive, then thought of the other things I could have gotten instead of seeing the NKOTB in concert, then he told me "can't you just except that I want to do something nice for you". My wanna-be tight wad thoughts went away, and then realized I'm actually going to see NKOTB live in concert wahoooooooooooo! I cannot believe my husband would do this because I would not spend that much money on myself, and Vete is not the type to surprise me in anyway- he is very predictable. I'm so excited and cannot wait, I'm the biggest fan of all boy bands- I was a huge fan of NKOTB when I was young, and then a huge fan of backstreet boys but more so NSYNC when I was in high school- right Harm-lol. I am now counting down the days until Nov. 15th. But I told Vete that next time he wants to do something nice for me he can do things that are free, like wash the dishes for a month, take the trash out wo/ me asking 10 times, or give me a back massage- and he stated, "it's ok I would rather buy you things"- lol, luv u Vetz!
Where did you meet? In sep.2000 after a BYU football game
How long have you been married? We dated too long 5 1/2 years, and married for 2 1/2 years
What is your favorite feature of his? his eyes and lips
What is your favorite quality of his? I luv everything about him, I luv how he is very composed when it comes to his emotions, he is very easy going, very very very patient- something he learned to be after marrying me!
Does he have a nickname for you? eh suga j/k, just Betty but it has many different tones depending on the mood.
What is his favorite color?Blue
What is his favorite food? Anything many different types, but mostly Samoan
What is his favorite sport? Football
When and where was your first kiss? In his old jeep
What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Spending time with our son doing fun things, watching Tai smile, and do something new.
Do you have any children? Yes, 1 very spoiled boy
Does he have a hidden talent? Yes. great singer
How old is he? 30
Who said "I love you" first? He did
What is his favorite type of music? Samoan
What do you admire the most about him? He knows how to make me smile when I am mad, very motivated once he sets his mind to something, very family oriented, great father and husband!
Do you think he will read this? probably, later on
I'll tag anyone, it's fun to brag about yo hubby or significant other!

Happy 31st B-day Jim!

2008-10-05T21:07:00.005-06:00

My brother turned 31, and we had a get together. The food was good as always and Tai had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. Congrats Jimmy on another year down and many more to come, and I mean this with much optimism!

Birthday Dinner!

2008-10-05T20:55:00.006-06:00

This year everyone has been so busy that no one on the Ho Ching side has been able to get together to celebrate any b-days. So we all went out to dinner to celebrate everyones b-day, it was funny because the waiter asked what we were celebrating and Vete's sister Leiutu stated our birthdays that were 5 months ago. It was fun thanks Mom and Dad, here are some pics of Tai, Leiutu's twins and of course thier fav aunty Nica.

100 Calories my apples......

2008-10-03T20:20:00.003-06:00

Everything is bigger on camera, especially this brownie, for real it's tiny!

It's been about 2 months since Vete has started with Total Health and Fitness, and he has lost 26 lbs. This has been bittersweet because I'm happy for him however in the same amount of time I have only lost 4 lbs, and still 16lbs away from my goal. I get so frustrated however I know what is holding me back- my "SWEET TOOTH". I tend to buy sugar-free snacks however I go way overborad to the point where I might aswell have eaten a king-size candy bar. I went to walmart to find alternative snacks that could help me curve my sweet cravings. I love little debbies and I saw that they had a 100 cal. brownie, I bought it cuz I know for a fact that if it's little debbies it has to be good. After grocery shopping for about 2 hours my stomach was growling, I quickly grabbed the little debbie brownies and ripped it open like a hungry wild animal. When I saw the size of these things I was so disappointed, no wonder it's 100 cal.- it's snack sized made for an infant. I cannot believe manufacturers make these things and expect people to continually buy them. I mean it's almost like they took one of thier regular brownies and cut them in 4's or maybe 6's - and now it's suppose to be figure freindly because it's 100 cal.- well I can cut a brownie myself I don't need the manufacturer to do it for me and then wrap it up. Oh man, so I ended up eating 6 peices because 1 just didn't do it for me- my stomach is not pea-size. Anyone out there know any figure friendly snacks that taste good and are filling please help. I hope this doesn't sound angry- I have to make a note to myself to not blog while hungry!

Cornbellies!

2008-09-27T20:26:00.008-06:00

I promised I would take my neices and nephews out to do something fun, and The Cornbellies at Thanksgiving Point was the perfect place. Tai had so much fun playing with his cousins, going on the rides, and playing games. We would have stayed till closing but Tai was turning bright red from the heat and I forgot his sunscreen. I was too scared for all of us to do the David Archuleta maze, I feared I might lose one of the kids for good- the thing was huge. However it was a fun filled day and the best part was admission was only .97 cents- what a deal!

Locked out.....

2008-09-27T19:18:00.003-06:00

It seems like Vete and I just love to learn the hard way- thats seriously the story of our lives thus far. Yesterday we were in the car coming back from Provo and Vete wanted to go home and eat and I needed to run a couple of our errands- so we took off the house key so Vete can get into the house, and I could run the errands. Vete told me that the time he was home he kept saying to himself - "put the house key back on when they get back", he stated that in his mind he kept repeating it so that he wouldn't forget. Well- he forgot and we got home about 11:30pm from eating dinner with the hoching fam bam- we were exhausted, Tai was hungry and cranky, and I was ready to dive into my bed. Well as soon as we got to the front door, Vete froze and we both realized we didn't put the house key back on the key chain. First we though Nica had a spare, then realized last time we were locked out we used the spare and forgot to return it. We brainedstorm some more, then thought maybe we left a window or the sliding door opened, and checked- they were all locked. We tried the credit card thing because the dead bolt was not locked- and of course plan failed. So we initially thought of a lock smith but figured it would be too expensive. So then we thought it would be cheaper to replace the door knob then to call a locksmith- so then Vete tried to kick the door handle off, thinking that the lock would break off too. Well another swell plan failed, at that moment we decided to call a locksmith. They stated that they would be there in 15-20 min., however they were there in less then 5 minutes. The guy picked the lock in no time but had a hard time opening the door because Vete kicked the door handle and jammed the door. So because the guy was built like a 15 teen year-old boy, very scrawny guy -he had Vete ply the door open with his tools, and yay- we were inside. The locksmith ended up costing 69.00, and because the door handle is jammed to replace the entire door fixture it will cost 30.00. So I know Nica we should have listened to you and hid a key in the back, and we should have given the spare key back to you - but we love learning the hard way, it's the streak we cannot seem to break!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.............

2008-09-27T00:40:00.004-06:00

Peni and Chet took all of us shooting today, it was my second time in my entire sheltered life that I have shot a gun. I don't even know what the name of the gun is but my favorite was the hand gun and I tell ya it is a great stress reliever, and very therapuetic I might add. The first time we went shooting with Peni and Chet, I didn't hit a thing besides the dirt in the mountains. This time I actually hit one of the water bottles, I have to add that it was 10 feet away- however I was still proud of myself. It was a lot of fun, Leiutu brought her twins and they were so good just chillin in the suburban. Thanks Normans for supplying the guns, I got my shooting fix covered until next year.

Liahona Article: Always Rely on the Spirit!

2008-09-22T15:59:00.003-06:00

Vete's parents are serving a mission in Quezon City, Phillipines and this beautiful article was written about them in the Liahona. They are great examples to Vete and I and, especially to lil Tai- who is named after his Grandfather Taituliatu. They are in their sixties and if you take a look at their work ethic you'd think they were in their twenties. We miss them and can't wait till they get back in June 2010! I know it is hard to read, but not sure if this is in the sept.08 issue, or will be coming out in the oct.08 issue.

To our missionaries w/Luv!

2008-09-20T17:57:00.003-06:00

I have recieved an old fashion letter from my sister who is on a mission, and was excited but I also felt incredible guilty at the same time. Because I have written emails and such but I have have never written my sister or my in-laws an actual old fashion letter, and they have both been on their missions for 1+ years. Recieving the letter made me feel so special, compared to the usual bills and junk I recieve on a day to day basis. Now we have a family night dedicated to writting our letters to our loved ones who are on the mission field serving the Lord. Of course Tai cannot write, and sending scribbles a million miles away is just a waste- so Tai is sending his beautiful finger paintings. I must say this kid is talented, but that is just me! Hope Grandma and Grandpa Ho Ching, and Aunty Olo enjoy thier letters- we luv and miss ya!

Tai hard at work making his paintings perfect, and also going numba 2- that's my boy the multitasker!

The finish product!

1 Year mark!

2008-09-12T21:08:00.003-06:00

My little sister finally made her one year mark on her mission in Bucharest, Romania! She is 5 years younger then me, and although she is younger she is a great example and I look up to her very much. When I was single we use to live together, and trust me it was so hard. We argued everyday because she was irritating, I was irritating, I always wore her clothes-lol, we seriously would fight physically but of course it was just rolling around the floor getting our hands tangled in each others hair- and I admit she can kick my butte, anyways. Well I gotta share this story, this one time Olo was at the apartment with Tili and Olo stank up our bathroom and tried to kill the smell with a candle- well anyways she forgot to blow the candle out, and she fell asleep. When she finally woke up the bathroom was in flames, however she and tili managed to get the flames out. Olo was so afraid to tell me, she went out and bought a new toilet seat, and some plaster and paint to fix the burned wall. When I came home from work there was a fan blowing in the bathroom, and when Olo came home all I did was ask her what happened, and she denied anything happened and then finally she came back into my room and told me everything and we started laughing. Although the majority of the time I spent living with my little sister was spent fightingand arguing over petty things, I did learn a lot about her- more then I ever knew before. She is a very independent person, very thoughtful, and very giving- and I miss her so much. I never really started building a closer relationship with her until about the time she was preparing to go on a mission, and also through our correspondence during her mission. I never really appreciated my lil sis until she left, and never knew how much I would miss her- crazy huh, but I seriously cannot wait until she comes home in 6 months. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days that we lived together and re-create good memories rather than the negative ones we have, but we learn and we grow from them I guess. I know she is on the Lords errand, and that she is safe, and I'm so glad that we have a better relationship now! My lil sis blog is on my link list for updates on how she is doing.

Survey time!

2008-09-07T23:19:00.002-06:00

My life is a constant tape put on replay, and I needed a new post so I stole this from Nimo's page- here goes....
A) Four places that I go to over and over:
1. I walk to my mail box,
2. I walk to Petco.
3. I walk to Great Harvest
4. Occassionally if I must- I'll drive to the grocery store- we have a gas guzler and I'm a penny pinching freak so I feel like I save a ton by walking a lot, and my son loves it - it helps that our backyard is the Draper Peaks shopping center! Oh and I'm doing my part to save the planet- yay me!
B) Four people who e-mail me:
My sister Saolo (Sora Betham) who is on a mission in Romania, luv u!
Harmony Kahaialii (sorry girl if I mispelled that last name)
junk mail mostly
and co-workers
C)Four of my favorite places to eat:
Sam hawk
J dawg's ( I know it is just a hot dog stand but it's the bomb!)
Cafe Rio
This bomb Indian restaurant, can't remember the name but it's right next to szechuan garden in Midvale, UT
D) Four Places I Wouldn't Mind Being Right Now:
Laie, I know it's not the greatest place in the world but it's home and I miss my little rock in the middle of the ocean.
Samoa
New Zealand
and Cali. to visit my parents
E) Four people I will TAG
Anyone and everyone,
F) Four TV shows I watch over and over:
Lost, lost, lost, and lost- I'm a crazy lost fan!

So long summer

2008-09-03T17:55:00.018-06:00

So long and goodbye to my short summer, and welcome the dreaded long, cold days and nights of winter. So long to a few of our favorite summer things to do:

So long to our daily walks to Great Harvest, I guess now we'll just have to drive!

So long to our bike rides around town!

So long to our refershing dips in the pool!

So long to hanging out at the park with family and friends.

So long to kick'n it on those warm summer nights!

And the hibernation begins.......

The Zula Patrol

2008-08-27T12:24:00.003-06:00

I have been struggling trying to find things for my son to do while I am working. I feel so guilty just sitting him in front of the tube and having him watch countless hours of brain dead television. So while I was working I had the television on PBS, at least some of it is educational right! Well the Zula Patrol was on and it looked like just another cartoon, and while I was working "Malto", one of the aliens mentioned Plate Tectonics so I quickly swiveled my chair and tuned my attention to watching this cartoon. If anyone knows me you know I am not good at math and science, and when I was in college I especially struggled with my Physical Science class. I spent countless hours with the teaching assistant trying to understand the concepts of physcial science, and I barely passed the dang class by the hair of my chinny chin chin. So I have never heard of plate tectonics until my physical science class in college , thanks to my prestigous edumakation at Kahuku High. I'll try to get to my point, this cartoon in a very exciting and interesting way explained the concept of plate tectonics- which I understoond instantly, and when I was in college it took me hours with a teaching assistant to understand. So now we make sure Tai gets his daily dosage of the Zula Patrol, hopefully something will seap into his brain while watching this cartoon- and the hours spent in front of the tv, will not be in vain- I'm so bad! If any of you want to know it is on at 12pm on channel 11, and it's about a group of aliens who travel the universe, learning new and exciting things about science and space exploration- I took that directly from thier website lol.

Fun get together

2008-08-23T21:24:00.003-06:00

We went to dinner the other night with the Alberts and the Tuitele's who were visting for the weekend. Their daughter Na'ulei is just the most beautiful, squishy little baby- and just seeing her made me even more baby hungry- especially for a little girl! Thanks Cam and Lohi for treating us, the food was great but the company was better!

Too big the lips

2008-08-22T22:10:00.002-06:00

Tai got his Dad's big big lips, I just got a little bit of footage of him trying to blow out this candle. He tried so hard to blow it out, and I tried to teach him how to blow the candle but I think his lips just get in the way. I finally blew it out because he would of definitely turned blue trying to get it out himself.

Phelps is the Man!

2008-08-16T23:01:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe how amazing this guy is, 8 gold metals- what an accomplish ment!

Mr. Independence

2008-08-16T14:22:00.004-06:00

I pretty much do everything for my son, just because it's easier and faster if I do it- rather then him. But I realized that Tai is way too old for me to be doing everything, and at the rate I'm going I will probably be cutting his food when he is 30 yrs old. So I'm learning to take a step back and let him try and fail on his own and then step in when he finally gets frustrated and can't do it anymore. It has worked, he is learning to be more independent and to try things on his own without my help. The funniest thing though was the other day when I told him to get his shoes and to put them on. He came back with his sandals on the wrong feet and an extra toe in one of his sandals, it was so cute and I let him run around a little bit like that - then I finally fixed it. Hopefully this is a start to his new found independence from me, next the dishes- j/k I totally wish though!

Firefly's

2008-08-06T19:50:00.004-06:00

So my son went through a period of time when he loved to brush his teeth, he would get so excited when he followed me into the bathroom and started to put toothpaste on his little brush. Then recently I don't know what happened but he started to kick and scream when I told him it was time to brush his teeth. I would seriously have to pin him down and pry his mouth open while brushing his teeth and it was a chore for me and for him. So the other day when we were at walmart I came across these kiddy toothbrushes called firefly's they are so cool. So they light up by pressing the bottom button and it lights up for a minute which is the dentist recommended time for a child to brush their teeth, and the light will die when it is time to change the toothbrush. This tootbrush did the trick, Tai re-discovered his love to brush his teeth and it's no longer a war between he and I to get his teeth brushed. Mothers' I recommend this tooth brush it is cheap and makes brushing teeth fun- I know that sounds like a info-mercial!

Can't wait for Beijing 2008

2008-08-04T10:29:00.003-06:00

I love, love, love the olympics and cannot wait until they begin. My favorite events to watch is the beach and indoor womens volleyball events. First the Walsh and May duo, they are the bomb- not only are they the best in their sport but such great role models. Misty May is in peak condition and she is also a Mother- to juggle being number 1 for the past 8 years she is also juggling motherhood, and that is amazing- what an inspiration. Also the USA volleball team has my favorite setter in the world Robin Amo. I grew up watching her set for UH, and to see her still playing for the USA team is remarkable. She too is a Mother and still doing her thing- represent Hawaii on a national level! I will be cheering these remarkable women on from the front row seat of my couch and living vicariously through them- GO USA!

Random Shots

2008-08-02T17:46:00.004-06:00

I had to clear my memory card!

Day at the park

2008-08-02T17:08:00.004-06:00

The sun went down a little, and it seemed it was a perfect day to visit the park. I wanted to take a bike ride, and make use of the nice weather until the cold sweeps in - in a couple of months. I tried to convince Vete to do the same, however I ended up riding my bike there and of course Vete drove the truck. However it is was nice, Tai and Vete had so much fun rolling in the grass and I played photographer for the purpose of my blog. I wish it were summer all year round here in Utah, I don't mind the heat - but I get sick just thinking about how cold it will be soon.

"Cookie Cutter's" is the bomb!

2008-07-30T17:02:00.003-06:00

Tai's hair started growing like a wild vine, and it was so long and uneven and I've been nagging Vete about cutting it for like ever. Vete is like the typical polynesian that loves long hair, and doesn't want to cut Tai's hair until he turns 8 yrs old. Well we had a conversation about it and he agreed that Tai should get a trim, because his hair falls into his eyes when he plays. So I quickly hurried to find a salon that would take him that day before Vete changed his mind, and I came across Cookie Cutters that was right up the street from us. This place is the bomb, the moment we walked in they were so nice, Tai got to choose a movie to watch while he got his hair cut, he got to choose a toy while his hair was being cut, and he got to choose a car to sit in to get his hair cut. He loved it , and I was talking with the lady that was cutting his hair and she asked the question "how would you like his hair to be cut?" I was so tempted to say shave it all off. -But in the back of my mind I knew Vete would be so heart broken so see him bald, so I responded to just give him a trim- man I'm such a good wife j/k! So when he was done he got a ballon and a sucker, and was very happy. We had a great experience, and we will defintely be back to Cookie Cutters- and I will definitely cut all his hair off for sure!

Dr. Doolittle

2008-07-30T16:38:00.006-06:00

As I stated earlier Tai loves animals, and we live not even a mintue away from Petco. As much as we would love to go to the zoo everday, our budget and time does not allow it. So we do the next best thing and we visit Petco, pretty much on a daily basis. It's a bit of a teaser for Tai, because he never wants to leave and I have to carry him out of the store kicking and screaming. The employees I imagine get irritated because we never buy anything when we visit the store- one day we will maybe buy a fish or something, we will see Vete is the hard one to convince. Anyways I do like to think of our visits to Petco as the best of both worlds we can go and visit animals whenever Tai wants, and we don't have to clean up after the animals, we don't have to feed them, or smell them. He always says mine bird, or mine turtle - which will be fine for now- but when he realizes that they really aren't his, we will defintely be in trouble.

Lover of Animals

2008-07-30T16:14:00.003-06:00

Tai loves animals, big or small, creepy or crawly- he hasn't met an animal that he didn't like. On his 2nd birthday 30may08 we took him to the zoo, which was heaven for this kid. Vete and I endured through the hot, hot sun so that he could enjoy his birthday- if it was up to him he would've never left the zoo.

Total Health and Fitness

2008-07-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

So the day I gave birth on 30may06 I weighed 280lbs, I know I was very hefty and I had a very healthy pregnancy (too healthy). It was very discouraging when my son weighed in at 6lbs and 14oz. After all the water weight went away I was left with 60 pounds to lose, I lost 10 on my own and got very frustrated when the scale went down and then back up again. My sis-in-laws started this weight loss program called total health and fitness and had amazing results, but the price tag was pretty out of our budget. Thankfully my insurance covered it- yay me! So I lost 30 lbs with them in 3 months, however I have 20 more pounds to go still. I lost the weight 3 months ago and still have not met my goal of losing the additional 20 pounds. I love to play the blaming game, so of course I blamed it on my husband because he ate the junk and with the junk staring me in the face all day long I gave in and have not progressed with my weight loss goal. So my husband joined the program- hip hip hooray- and as much as I would like to take credit for his decision, he decided all on his own to lose the weight. He is doing great on it, and he is motivating me to stay on track and to keep going. Vete lost 5 pounds his first week, and has a ton of energy, and his sleeping schedule is so much better. I have to admit I am loving it, it is nice to share the same weight loss struggles and little accomplishments with your spouse aka best friend. I'm hoping by the time he is done with the program, I will have met my goal- we will see!

I'm a blogger

2008-07-22T19:45:00.000-06:00

Ok so I always told myself that I never had time to blog, but I always had time to read all of your wonderful and inciteful blogspots. So today I'm finally going to get things started! Nothing in my life is worth blogging about besides my son (and of course my hubby - j/k), our lives revolve around his world and we wouldn't have it any other way. The king is 2, and full of energy, life, laughter, craziness, intelligence of course, and lately gas- he just learned to fart and burp and will purposely turn red trying to get one out which ever way it goes. Just to let you know he didn't learn it from me or his Dad- and that is the truth. He is a joy and we love every moment we have to spend with him. So things to be aware of if you read this blog :1. spelling errors and the incorrect grammar because their will be tons of them, 2. I tend to go off on tangents so be aware of the sporadic thoughts, 3. Yes I have many fob moments so just be aware 4. The blogs will be all about Tai, occassionally about me or Vets - so it will get boring!