Seasider Basketball

This is what has consumed our school, our town, our island and yes, our family, over the last few weeks - Seasider Men's Basketball. We have a really good team this year and they did pretty well, won their conference and all. We have some amazing players. Tui is a big fan of anything that involves a ball and so of course we were at every game. Well, i didn't always go, infact sometimes this season i used the basketball as a great time to be alone to take a nap, while i sent tui with with the baby to the game. Tui doesn't mind because most of the time some one will come take him away. Anyways, so the season just finished and here are a couple of pictures at the last game.

We're wearing red, of course, to support our team.

Malachi enjoys being able to spend time on our shoulders and he gets the best view from up there too.

He is the biggest fan ever and loves the noise, the music, the clapping. This kid is in his zone at a game.

We're really sad the season is over. But i'll be glad to go on a date that isn't played on ESPN!!

Missionary car wash

This past Saturday our ward had a missionary car wash. This is the second time that our ward has done this, the first time it was instigated by none other then JO QUILLAN, our ward mission leader. And our new ward mission leader has followed the tradition. The idea is that we offer a free car wash and while the people are having their car cleaned, they hang out under the tent we have with a table of treats and.....THE MISSIONARIES!! It's genius really, no one can resist free stuff and they can't run away coz we've got their car! Its alot of fun for us too, hanging out with our ward. Unfortunately, the downside to doing any missionary work in mormonville is that almost everyone that drives by are already members of the church. So i don't know how much of an impact our missionary efforts made, but either way, Malachi sure had a blast. Here are some pictures of the day's adventure.

Good job Tui!

In the down time i quickly voluntered our car for them to clean - thanks guys!!

The cookies were meant to be for the investigators that came, but malachi stole one off the table, while michelle watched in the background.

Munching it down.

The end result - 10 seconds after this my t-shirt was no longer white, it was a nice shade of brown

Malachi found bubbles and boy did he love it!!

Clapping in delight!

Oh no, mummy caught you!!

Malachi found some friends to play in the water with.

Son, that's for cleaning the cars, not your mouth.

Tui and our neighbor Tyler taking on the big truck - at least one person in our family actually did some car washing...

Barbra Barrington Jones

Last week Barbra Barrington Jones came to the BYUH campus to do a week long conference of seminars etc for the business students to help them once they get out into the job world. But for the first two days she organised sessions for the women in our stake. I went to a couple of them, and they were AMAZING!!! I went to fashion and learnt that i've been dressing like a monkey for the last 22 years, wearing the wrong shapes and colors of clothes. It was so informative, about using lines and all this great stuff. It was like "What not to wear" except she didnt make me feel dumb. I went to a session called, "Knowing what to do in every situation" which was about etiquite. She told us that etiquite is common sense, but not common knowledge. Very true..... we learnt about eating correctly, speaking correctly, interacting correctly. Again, confirming that i've been living like a caveman for my whole life.

Then on sunday she did a fireside for couples and talked about the top 5 needs of a woman and man. She was very very funny and totally to the point. Here are her points.

5 Most Important Needs of a Woman

1. Security
2. Affection
3. Meaningful conversation
4.Honesty and openess
5.Family commitment

5 Most Important Needs of a Man

1.Companionship
2.Sexual fulfilment
3.Attractive Spouse
4.To be admired
5.Domestic support

I wish everyone could have been there to hear what she said. It was inspirational.
So, for all you husbands and wives, make sure you're fulfilling your spouses needs, and the last thing she told us was, If Christ is the center of our lives, nothing will ever go wrong. So true.

Tradition

We've started a new tradition in our family of Tui cooking the meal on Sunday. This was inspired by our Bishop telling the brethern that they need to be cooking at least one meal a week. (Thanks Bishop!). And so Tui has taken on this challenge and has done really well. We've discovered that his cooking really isn't that bad, its a limited palet but its good. So for the last couple of weeks he's cooked for us on Sunday night. He cooks the same meal every week. But not just any meal.....

First, it starts with a pumpkin, he cuts a whole in the top and scoops out the seeds.

Then he cuts up meat, onions and puts them inside and fills it to the top with coconut milk.

Then you cook it for about an hour and a half. The end result is....

And let me tell you, ITS SO GOOD!!! At first when he told me what he was going to make i told him i didnt want him wasting a perfectly good pumpkin. But it really is amazing!! And what a balanced meal, its the most vegetables i can get my husband to eat.

Thanks Tui for making this delish meal for us every sunday. Here's to tradition!!

(sorry i couldnt put any pictures of tui actually making it, he was immodest)

Updates on the dude

Malachi is now 9 1/2 months old, in 2 1/2 months he'll be one!!! I cannot believe that! He's such a character now, he enjoys playing peek-a-boo, especially with his reflection, dancing, watching BYUH basketball games, knocking on our neighbor's doors, kissing every little kid he meets (nice big wet, open mouthed kisses of course), bending over to look at the world upside down, talking on the phone (which Grandma Tafuna LOVES!!), pretty much everything that big people do, he wants to do.

He has been walking for over a month now and does nothing else. He's learnt to drink from a straw which is really convenient. He's starting to jump and goes on his tippy toes to reach things that are higger or to look on the table. He's understanding alot more of what we say including no, out of there, hold my hand, move back, go get the ball, bathtime etc. He gets super excited when he hears a bike outside (yes, he can hear bikes) and he starts going crazy and runs to the door coz he thinks its Tui. And he's started saying mum and dada and actually meaning us now. He says b b b for a bird and goes wooh wooh wooh when he sees a dog. He's developed a love for books and reading which i'm really happy about and he even has his favourite books that he will bring to me, then sit in my lap while i read them.

He's just such a joy, i love being with him all day!!! He's so much fun to be around. Last weigh in he was 22 pounds and 31 inches long, so he's a skinny boy. But we love him to pieces, he's our pride and joy. He's the best!! We can't wait to take him to visit our families in a few months!!

Here are a few pictures and video clips of him recently.

Clap, clap clapping.

Making a mess with Vaea. (You can't really see it but his shirt says "B is for Bob" and has a picture of Bob Marley on it. Tui and I bought it the day we found out i was pregnant!)

Rocking his sunday best.

Quality time with Daddy. (See, they do look alike!)

Ready for a munch.

In his new bike chair - $30 Walmart! He absolutely loves it, and falls asleep in it too so i guess it's relaxing aswell.

Checking out the world upside down.

Talking on the phone.

Walking.

Aloha oe Bishop Hannemann

We're in mourning. Our dear sweet amazing Bishop, Arthur Hannemann has been called to be the President of the BYUH 1st stake. Which means he will be released from his calling as our Bishop of the 5th ward this sunday. What a sad sad day that will be. This last sunday we had a potluck for him and sang Aloha oe and gave leis. I cried. I really really love our Bishop. I know that no one is perfect, but he comes pretty close. Our ward is amazing, because of him. He's so commited and faithful and an amazing example of a bishop, a husband, a father, a friend, he's just amazing. I feel so blessed to have been in his ward. He will be sorely missed.
Here are a few pictures from the potluck.

Crazy

The craziest thing happened today. We turned the heater on in our car, for the very first time....THE HEATER....IN HAWAII!!!!! Isn't that insane? It's been so freezing here lately, the coldest i've ever been in hawaii in 4 years. It's been down in the lower 70's and even the 60's (for those non-USA residents, that's like 20 degrees Celsius). Now i know that doesn't sound cold, especially for those who are living in snow right now. But consider that we're usually enjoying uper 70's and lower 80's on most days (28+). We're wearing sweatshirts everyday, have blankets up to our necks at night, all the windows closed, and i can't remember the last time we used the fan. I LOVE IT!!! I absolutely love the cold, i hate being hot and sweaty. So this weather is perfect for me. I'm looking forward to using the heater in our car maybe once more before we leave hawaii.

Wii

So the last couple of weeks I've been participating in a friends Senior EXS research project involving the wii fit, a video game that claims to help you stay fit. At first i was pretty skeptical - a video game, as a work out? But i signed up and after the first day, i was hooked!! It amazed me how much of a workout i got from a virtual hula hoop.
The wii it's self is amazing, a video game console like no other. For those who aren't familiar, or haven't had the chance to play one, the game works on sensors that pick up your movements and move your character accordingly. Which makes total sense, because my brothers for years would turn their hands like a steering wheel, or jump or duck, but it did nothing for their little character, but now it does!! It truely is amazing.

So... I've been pestering my husband to get me a wii. I really really really want to be able to work out at home because it's just not a happening thing right now. I've tried waking up early, but Malachi is still waking up twice in the night so i need any extra sleep i can get. And then i'm at home with baby all day so going to the gyms a no go. And at night, i feel bad asking Tui to give up a hour of his studying time to watch baby while i go to the gym. So basicly i'm just stuck with my baby weight which i HATE!!

At first Tui flat out told me no, no wii. Can't afford it, waste of time, the usual. But then we got our tax return. It paid off all our bills, got enough into the savings and there seems to be a little left over. Plus i've been babysitting other kids and tutoring to bring in a little extra money, so i deserve it, right?

Well today we went to town and i saw them at costco and i begged and begged but they were sold out anyway. Then we went to walmart and i saw them again and i think tui had some sort of brain lapse or wasn't really paying attention coz HE BOUGHT ME ONE!!! And i love love love it!! My husband may come across as a tough guy, but he's really just a big softie...THANK YOU BABE, I LOVE YOU!!!

Malachi's gotten in on it too. The wii remote is his new favourite thing. If he sees it and you dont give it to him, oh boy, you better watch out! He's also figured out to swing it around like Daddy and every time he gets hold of it he'll stand in front of the TV and swing the remote to play. It's so cute!! I'm pretty sure we'll regret it later when he's a video game junkie like his uncles....