Guinea Pigs Needed!!

So Charlie and I (my camera), are in desperate need of some practice. The only way to get better at something is to just practice, right? Right??
So if anyone is brave enough, I'd love to take your individual/family/maternity/engagement/children's/couple pictures!!!
Let me know if you're interested.

Our last Hawaii Christmas

It was the probably the most untraditional Christmas I've ever had, but it was nice. We woke up, due to our little alarm clock who never fails to wake us up. Malachi helped me make breakfast (this kid loves helping in the kitchen).


We ate, read the Christmas story again (we'd done it the night before, but it can't hurt to read it again right?), and then let Malachi open his presents. This year he understood how to open the presents, and that there was actually something inside. We had only got him one thing (due to us leaving shopping til the night before Christmas, and there was NOTHING left), but the blessings of coming from a large family, there are always plenty of gifts. He got some cool stuff, his own cutlery set from my Grandparents, some bathsalts that make the bath water different colors from his cousin, a gun from Tui's friend. Just enough to keep the little guy happy.



I had also made him a Santa for his Christmas Candy to be put in. I had one as a kid that my mum had made and I loved it to death. So I made one for Malachi, and he loved it just as much as I used to.

The plan was then to go to the beach with some friends for a BBQ - it was raining. So we had an indoor BBQ. No real Christmasy food - BBQ chicken, hot dogs, Japanese curry, potato salad. But it was good. We then spent the day playing board games, and then headed to the movies to watch 'The Princess and the Frog' which Malachi loved to death. He danced his way through the whole movie. It was a really nice, low key, stress free day. Sad we never actually made it to the beach, but a good day none the less.

The beach!

I'm sure I have a million posts with the same title, but after April, there will be no more so here's another one for the history books.
Finals are done, the weather is great, my husband is working, so what do I do? Go to beach with my neighbors! We have really great neighbors and it was fun to see them outside these concrete walls. After quite an adventure trying to find them....lol, we had so much fun. Enough words, here's the pictures. Not many, and im in like none. But oh well!

The Christmas Story...sort of....

On Christmas Eve Eve we, with some fellow TVAians, put on a grand production of the Nativity story. For not practicing it went.....terribly. No one knew the songs, or their parts, or where to go, or why Joseph went underneath the stable.....But it was so much fun.!! We were the wise people, due to us being the only family of 3 present, and mobile members. So we made crowns, which Malachi and Tui refused to take off for the rest of the night. There was a really cool donkey (that closely resembled my bike), and the best baaaaing sheep you've ever seen.

The wisest of the wisemen.

Mary, Joseph and the baby she-Jesus.


Some wondering sheep.


The Angel and the Star.

Malachi bonded with the loudest of the sheep.

The wisepeople


The whole cast, minus the photographer and narrator, Marcus


We ate afterwards which is always good. It was nice to spend some time with our family away from home - our friends!

Chop Chop

Well, we finally did it. We cut Malachi's hair. It was getting too long, in his eyes all the time, constantly had food in it, and he wouldn't let me tie it up, so it had to go. I was all for it, Tui kicked and screamed, but I think the whole process was a little harder for me then him. It was the last baby part of him left. Oh well, time for baby # 2!!

The day before we cut it


The finished product.


He looks so different now, I keep doing double takes to make sure it's my kid running around in my house. He looks older, and more mature. Last night as I was putting him to sleep, I went to run my hands through his hair - and it wasn't there! Malachi says "Gone, all gone".

Grandad's Visit

This past weekend we've had my Dad here which was awesome! I prepped Malachi, showing him pictures, praciticing saying Grandad (which sounded more like jhgadfgh so we went with Grandpa "dampa"). And these two clicked straight away, budz for life. It was so cute to see them playing, Malachi showing off and being silly, Dad thinking it was great.

Malachi showing Grandad how to play on the Wii.

Watching Barney together.

Riding on Grandad's shoulders. (Notice that they both have hats on, any time Dad put on his, Malachi scrambled to find his to put on too.)


Malachi went through Dad's bag and went straight for the good stuff - the electronics.



We packed our days full of swimming, shopping, eating, napping, a bit of PCC, some board games, it was alot for 3 days. We had such a great time with him here, especially due to his rental car! Malachi followed him around like a puppy, wanted to do everything he did, if grandad had shoes and socks, malachi wanted shoes and socks, if grandad had a hat, malachi wanted a hat. He started calling him "untle" (uncle) towards the end of the visit, not sure why, maybe he thinks my dad looks young. :)

Sand doesn't taste good son.

Buddies.


Oh yeah, Tui was there too.


Digging a hole.

Malachi in the hole.


Pali look out.


Buried in the sand and loving it.


The sandman emerges.

The boys swimming at Waikiki.

At PCC.

Watching the Samoan show.

Last time at the beach.

Drawing faces.

Dad and the car - for some reason that's important.


We can't wait to move home in a few months to have more

The real story

Last night I watched this movie for the first time. And I was really impressed with it. Not that it was fantatic acting or anything like that. But more I was really impressed with the insight it gave to the Nativity Story, the real Nativity story. I had always thought about Mary and Joseph and their experiences in becoming the parents of Christ as kind of light hearted. An angel came, told them he'd be Jesus, they went to Bethlahem, gave birth, the end. But this movie really illustrated the real life situation. She was young, not married, and she was pregnant. She could very well have been stoned to death for it. TO DEATH. For being the mother of the Savior. She dishonored herself, her family, no one would talk to her, everyone looked at her like trash, it was tough. And Joseph, he could have chosen not to marry her. But he did, and because of it, lost his good name, was frowned upon, lost his friends. Life wasn't as easy as maybe I'd thought. Even today, someone in the church getting pregnant is a big deal. But imagine it 2000 years ago when it was against the law. And their journey to Bethlehem, it was a really long way! No smooth paved roads, through sand storms in deserts, over mountains, it was winter time. And she had to sit on a donkey, for days, 9 months pregnant!! That's insane. And then to give birth in a barn.

I'm really grateful for this movie and for putting the story into real life, social context. What amazing people Mary and Joseph were. For all they went through to bring the Savior into this world. It makes Christmas take on a whole new light, and makes the birth of Christ that much more special.

Watch the movie.

Fatty Update

I don't want our blog to turn into pregnancy central, but I figured a post every 10 weeks isn't too bad. It's for history sake. So I've reached a quarter of the way and this is how it's been.

- I have some days where I feel totally normal, and other days where I can't put anything in my mouth without it coming back up. This whole week I've been fine. Last week I lived in the bathroom, it was horrible. I think with Malachi I threw up twice total. People say that means it's a girl. I'm hoping for a boy (If you are a girl and you read this in 20 years, it's nothing personal). I really don't want any girls, I have lots of nieces I can buy pretty clothes for, and then I send them home when they get emotional. I'd be happy with a little rugby team. Only time will tell.....

- Everything STINKS!!! I can't go to Relief Society anymore because I can smell everyone's perfumes, gum, hairspray, shampoo, children, you name it, I can smell it. The other day I smelt shrimp that I could have sworn was in our house, it was actually downstairs and 4 houses along. Needless to say, it's been weeks since I changed a Poo Nappy - Thanks Tui.

- No meat. No sugar. No tomato things. Basically I eat fruit and toast. Nothing appeals to me. There haven't been any meals cooked in our house, "Proper meals" (according to Tui) for at least a month. Everything i think of or see makes me feel gross.

- I sleep 12 hours at night, usually 9-9. Tui's so good getting up with Malachi in the night and in the mornings. Well, he was good, he's starting to slack. I've had to get up at 7am a few mornings which I was no happy about.

- No weight gain. I 've actually lost 5lbs due to the hurling. Hence no pictures coz i just look the same. By this point last time I'd already put on 10lbs. I'm hoping this means i'll have a baby who only weighs single digits.

So basically I'm just ready for the first trimester to be done and over with so i can get on with life and eating holiday deliciousness-es.

Funny Kid

Malachi has this way about him that just cracks me up. Here are some examples.

The other day he comes up to me, stands right in front of me and says, "Sarah". And then proceeds to giggle his heart out.

This morning when he woke up and came in to get Daddy to make his breakfast he tapped Tui, called "Daddy", waited.....no response from Tui. So Malachi slaps him on the face and says "KAI". (Ok, probably not funny to Tui, but definitely funny to me).

Today when I went to wake him up from his nap (4 hours is too long!), I say, "Malachi, time to wake up". Without opening his eyes he says, "No." Rolls over and goes back to sleep.

This little boy just makes me laugh. It's amazing how much his personality is coming through. A little sassy, but I love it!

Thoughts

I don't normally have posts that are picture-less and mostly pointless, maybe it's the hormones, but I feel like doing it today.

Lately I've just felt totally overwhelmed. In a good way. It's been the little things that have touched me recently. I think that maybe part of the reason the Lord gives us trials and hard times is for us to be able to feel the love, not just from him, but from others around us, to kind of open our eyes to how good we really have it. These are some of the things my eyes have been opened to as of late.

- I feel totally and utterly blessed to be a mother. My son is this little piece of heaven that lives in my house. He has this spirit that is just unconditionally loving and sweet. Yesterday someone said to me, "He's really a good boy, isn't he?", and he is. These past few days I've spent a lot of time curled over the toilet, and I can't count how many times I've felt his little hands rubbing my back, or had his head resting on my shoulder. There is no better sound in the world then to hear him say "Muma" with that smile on his face as he runs at me with his arms open wide. And with the new baby coming, I'm grateful for the amazing blessing it is to be pregnant. I've always been fascinated with how my body was able to make this little perfect person. But i think I've taken that for granted. The fact that I can even get pregnant, on my own, without treatment, without miscarriage, is something a lot of women will never experience. I'm so grateful to be a mother.

- My husband is a blessing I'm usually least likely to acknowledge. But as of late, he's become this huge strength to me. He has stepped up to the plate like you wouldn't believe. He does dishes, laundry, cleans the bathroom, gets me food, lets me sleep in everyday, and gets up to Malachi during the night, on top of working, studying and going to school, and I can't recall a single time in the last few months that he's ever complained about doing any of it. He just does it. He makes my life so easy. He puts up with so much. And I love him to death for it. He's not the type of person I'd imagined marrying, but Heavenly Father knew me better then I knew myself, and gave me this man who humbles me, and supports me, and loves me in all the little ways that I need it. Mostly he just lets me be me. I'm so grateful for my husband.

- I guess it's normal to think the grass is greener on the other side, to look up the ladder and feel bad about where we are. But with things about to change, Tui graduating, us leaving, another baby coming, I'm amazed at how good life is right here, right now. Our Stake President has always told me that these will be some of the best years of our lives. And i've seriously struggled to see it. Until now. I decided that if we can't be happy here, while our lives are so simple, then there's something wrong with us. Life is good. It's really good. From the weather, to our apartment, there really is nothing I can complain about. I get to stay home with my son everyday and just play and read books and ride the bike and go swimming and sing and dance. I'm so grateful for our life right now.

- Family has become more important to me the further away from them I get. And I have an amazing family. Today I sat at the computer and looked through pictures of my brothers, my sister, my nieces and nephews, my cousins, and I was overwhelmed with how many good memories i have surrounding them. I miss them so bad. And I am counting down the days until i can finally live closer to them, in the same country at least. My parents did such a good job making our home full of games and laughter and fun. I think that's mostly why I want alot of kids, because I had such a great time growing up with my brothers and sister, that i want my kids to have that too. With Christmas coming, I've thought about what I'd want to give each of my siblings. And mostly I just wish that they could understand how much they mean to me. I'm by far the most sentimental of the 6 of us, and it's probably hard for them to realize how much a part of me they are. And my parents, who took a piece of coal and spent time and tears refining it down in to me. They're just amazing. My mum often calls me her diamond in the rough. I think I'm still mostly just rough, but they sure did a good job trying to make me into a diamond. I'm so grateful for my family.

And as I sat here and blubbered as I wrote, I realised that this month is Thanksgiving. A couple of weeks ago some friends of ours asked what American traditions we'd take away with us. And all i could think of was Thanksgiving. Obviously, we won't have turkey or pilgrims or even the fall season, but i love the idea of designating a time to just be grateful. To stop thinking of what we don't have and really be glad for what we do have. And I sure do have alot. So here's my contribution to the month of thanks, a few things that the Lord has helped me to see I'm grateful for.

Bubbles

One of Malachi's all time favourite things in the world is Bubbles. Everyday, and I mean every day, without fail, and sometimes more then once, we go outside to blow bubbles. In the last month we've been through two containers of liquid. This kid loves bubbles. And he's finally getting the hang of blowing too. He used to just lick it, which was gross. But now he dips it in, blows and blows, and when he finally makes a bubbles he waves "bye bubbles" as they float away. Here are some picture of my little man in his zone.



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