And no, i'm not referring to late december back in 63 (personal joke).
Last night.
Well we have family coming today and so I wanted to make sure that the house was clean and tidy and not smelling funny, so I was on a cleaning rampage which gets me very wired and my body decides that it doesn't need sleep. So after Tui left to go to the library at 9pm, i decided to stay up and watch my precious Gilmore Girls Dvd's. And so I watched, and I watched, and then Tui came home when the library closed at midnight so I came to bed, and I lay there for a little bit, wide awake and decided to go back and watch more Gilmore Girls until I was tired (anyone who's a GG fan knows this is a bad idea, especially when you have more then one season on DVD). So 2 seasons, a bag of lollies and a box of chocolates later at 4am, I was still not tired (probably contributed to by the giant amount of sugar i consumed) but was too lazy to look for the next season so I went off to my room. It was very dark, and as I turned the corner i stepped on something a little warm, kinda small and fleshy. Being a huge CSI fan didn't help because I immediately imagined the horrific scene i would find of dead bodies etc etc. So i turned on the light to find.......Malachi. Asleep on the floor. How he got there I have no idea, why he got there I am equally baffled by, and goodness knows how long he'd been there. But there he was. So i picked him up, put him in his bed and proceeded to lie in bed until about 5am until I finally fell asleep.
7am rolls around, my alarm clock goes off......."Mum.....mum.......MUM" (gotta love that alarm clock) and suddenly, all that chocolate and that extra season didn't seem like such a good idea. Needless to say I'm a mess today.
Oh what a night......
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
A loss
Today I recieved the news that our dear friend, Amanda Gunter, passed away this morning after a car accident. I'm still sort of in shock and disbelief, and can't stop shaking, but I want to put my emotions into words in order to help pull myself together a little.
We met the Gunters here at BYUH. Levin was in my classes (a fellow psychology major), and they lived above us in L building. We were pregnant and due at the same time, Amanda gave birth to Ansley 2 days before Malachi was born, so we were hospital buddies too. After Levin graduated they moved back to North Carolina where they've been for the last year.
Amanda was the most amazing woman, she somehow was able to put in 110% of herself into everything she did - as a wife, a mother, a friend, a neighbor, a member of the church, everything. She was superwoman. She had such a great spirit about her, so willing to share with others. We spent many nights together while she taught me to make a blog, sew a nursing cover, make halloween decorations. She was so talented, I have always been envious of her creativity, and her shear love for life.
Amanda leaves behind her husband and little girl, but took with her their unborn child. I guess, as least she didn't go alone. My heart breaks for Levin and my mind can't even begin to comprehend how he will move on from this. I shed tears for sweet little Ansley, who will grow up without her amazing mother in her life. If there was ever a time I would ask God, "Why?", it would be now. She was just beginning her life, and it ended so quickly. But thinking about the person Amanda is, I know she's on the other side and already started to be an amazing missionary and helper for our Father in Heaven. She's probably looking down right now, with that beaming smile on her face saying "Guys, don't be sad, it's all part of the plan!"
Things like this make you stop in your tracks and quickly re-evaluate your priorities in life. That could have been me. It could have been Tui and Malachi left behind. It really affirms to me how short this life is, how we have no control over when it ends. All we can control is what we do with the time we have. Amanda will be able to stand tall, her head held high, and say, "Father, I have done my best". Because she had.
Amanda, you will be missed. You have touched and inspired me and I am so grateful for the life you lived. We pray for your family, especially for Levin and Ansley, that they will be encircled by the arms of angels and carried through this hard time.
I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel. I'm grateful for Amanda's testimony, that she shared so willingly, through words and actions. I know our Heavenly Father loves us and he has a plan for us. I know our lives are this short spec of time that we must never ever waste or take for granted. Every single day is a blessing. I pray that I can be a little more like Amanda, full of love, and joy, and firm in my testiomy of the gospel.
Until we meet again my friend....
oxo
We met the Gunters here at BYUH. Levin was in my classes (a fellow psychology major), and they lived above us in L building. We were pregnant and due at the same time, Amanda gave birth to Ansley 2 days before Malachi was born, so we were hospital buddies too. After Levin graduated they moved back to North Carolina where they've been for the last year.
Amanda was the most amazing woman, she somehow was able to put in 110% of herself into everything she did - as a wife, a mother, a friend, a neighbor, a member of the church, everything. She was superwoman. She had such a great spirit about her, so willing to share with others. We spent many nights together while she taught me to make a blog, sew a nursing cover, make halloween decorations. She was so talented, I have always been envious of her creativity, and her shear love for life.
Amanda leaves behind her husband and little girl, but took with her their unborn child. I guess, as least she didn't go alone. My heart breaks for Levin and my mind can't even begin to comprehend how he will move on from this. I shed tears for sweet little Ansley, who will grow up without her amazing mother in her life. If there was ever a time I would ask God, "Why?", it would be now. She was just beginning her life, and it ended so quickly. But thinking about the person Amanda is, I know she's on the other side and already started to be an amazing missionary and helper for our Father in Heaven. She's probably looking down right now, with that beaming smile on her face saying "Guys, don't be sad, it's all part of the plan!"
Things like this make you stop in your tracks and quickly re-evaluate your priorities in life. That could have been me. It could have been Tui and Malachi left behind. It really affirms to me how short this life is, how we have no control over when it ends. All we can control is what we do with the time we have. Amanda will be able to stand tall, her head held high, and say, "Father, I have done my best". Because she had.
Amanda, you will be missed. You have touched and inspired me and I am so grateful for the life you lived. We pray for your family, especially for Levin and Ansley, that they will be encircled by the arms of angels and carried through this hard time.
I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel. I'm grateful for Amanda's testimony, that she shared so willingly, through words and actions. I know our Heavenly Father loves us and he has a plan for us. I know our lives are this short spec of time that we must never ever waste or take for granted. Every single day is a blessing. I pray that I can be a little more like Amanda, full of love, and joy, and firm in my testiomy of the gospel.
Until we meet again my friend....
oxo
Friday, September 11, 2009
My little girl
My mother's worst fear is that I'm going to let my son's hair grow long like a girl. Tui didn't cut his hair until he was like 8 or 9. When we were in Tonga I was looking through their family albums and couldn't figure out why Tui wasn't in any of the pictures, and didn't know who that little girl was in all of them - it was Tui.
Now I'm not saying I want my son to pass for a Polynesian princess, but I'm not ready to cut his hair yet. It's the last 'baby' thing I have left - he doesn't sleep in a crib, I don't nurse him, I'm losing my baby boy. So for now his hair's on the long, maybe a little scraggly side. But it's cute!
Here's his little ponytail.
Now I'm not saying I want my son to pass for a Polynesian princess, but I'm not ready to cut his hair yet. It's the last 'baby' thing I have left - he doesn't sleep in a crib, I don't nurse him, I'm losing my baby boy. So for now his hair's on the long, maybe a little scraggly side. But it's cute!
Here's his little ponytail.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Love Box - Country Road, Take Me Home!
This weekend for our date night, we went to the BYUH closing social, country western themed and held at gunstock ranch. We embraced the western vibe (It's Tui's life long dream to become a cowboy anyway, no lies, he really really loves them) and dressed up, compliments of Cowgirl Ashleigh who is plaid's #1 fan (Thanks Ash, you saved me $30 buying a new outfit!).
It was such a fun night, except the dust, the dust wasn't so fun. But it was cool to do something different from the movies/dinner routine.
They had a Mechanical Bull which was so cool. Tui wasn't very keen on it (I guess he just wants to be a walking cowboy) but i sure was.
My stamp to show that I had signed my life away and was ready to ride.
The bull was covered in real fur/skin/whatever bulls are covered in and it was really slippery, but I lasted about 30 seconds.
Tui settled for a stationary bull.
Our cowboy grinds.
I don't know if they planned it this way, but it was a full moon that night, and Tui tried to catch it.
I always knew he looked a little dodgey...
They had a bonfire and we roasted marshmellows and made smores (actually, I made Tui roast the marshmellows coz my face was melting from the giant fire, and then I ate them).
We went on a hayride around the ranch, they had these weird little cows, like mini ones. And we weren't really sitting on hay, it was wood painted to look like hay, and it was super windy (waste of time doing my hair) but it was still fun.
The only downside was the music. I HATE COUNTRY MUSIC!! It pains my ears and makes me crazy. So after we'd done all the activities, we line-danced as long as I could bear it and then headed home. What a great night!
It was such a fun night, except the dust, the dust wasn't so fun. But it was cool to do something different from the movies/dinner routine.
They had a Mechanical Bull which was so cool. Tui wasn't very keen on it (I guess he just wants to be a walking cowboy) but i sure was.
My stamp to show that I had signed my life away and was ready to ride.
The bull was covered in real fur/skin/whatever bulls are covered in and it was really slippery, but I lasted about 30 seconds.
Tui settled for a stationary bull.
Our cowboy grinds.
I don't know if they planned it this way, but it was a full moon that night, and Tui tried to catch it.
I always knew he looked a little dodgey...
They had a bonfire and we roasted marshmellows and made smores (actually, I made Tui roast the marshmellows coz my face was melting from the giant fire, and then I ate them).
We went on a hayride around the ranch, they had these weird little cows, like mini ones. And we weren't really sitting on hay, it was wood painted to look like hay, and it was super windy (waste of time doing my hair) but it was still fun.
The only downside was the music. I HATE COUNTRY MUSIC!! It pains my ears and makes me crazy. So after we'd done all the activities, we line-danced as long as I could bear it and then headed home. What a great night!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Love Box - PCC
Yes, we went on a big , hot date.....to PCC.....with our son....so it was more of a family love day.Tui got us tickets to the Luau and Nightshow, for free of course (I married him for his hook ups) so we all went last week. It had been so long since I'd been at PCC and it's always fun to play tourists, especially when the workers try to explain things to you like, "This is a lei, it's a Hawaiian tradition.....", it was fun.
We ate at Hale Ohana, and as the dancers came out, look who we found......
Tui's cousin Jonathan has started dancing at the Luau and he happened to be assigned to the one we were at that night, it was fate! He did so well, representing his Hawaiian side. He's such a sweet kid, we love him.
Malachi got a yummy smoothie in a pineapple.....for free of course, from his Aunty Sia who was the MC at the Luau.
Then we went and watch the new PCC night show "HA - Breath of life" which I LOVED!! It told the story of a boy's life journey through Polynesia. They did such a good job, if you live here and haven't seen it, GO, f you live far away and haven't seen it, COME.Overall we had such a great time. Goes to show you don't have to go far to have a good time.
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