A WHOLE NEW WORLD!

My valentine!

2012-02-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINES TO MY QUITE PERFECT MAN! LOVE YOU DEAR!!

Teaching, no greater call.

2012-02-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

I have been spiritually edified this weekend. I had the privilege to watch the World Wide Leadership Training video and to attend a class on Teacher training. I have come to understand that we are instruments in Gods hands and that we are not expected to know everything we are assigned to teach. We are to turn to the Savior in all things and he will lead and guide us in the right direction. It was brought to my attention that words play a huge part of teaching. You could us too many words and then lose your audience or you could use to little words and leave your audience wondering what was the purpose of your lesson.
I remember when I was first called into Young Woman's almost 3 years ago(I can't believe it's been that long). But I had not had a calling for 2 years before that and the calling I did have was a primary teacher for the 7 year old class. So to be put into a presidency where I had to teach monthly, sometimes twice a month was overwhelming for me. I was literally terrified! I distinctly remember teaching for the first time and shaking during the whole lesson. Not because I wasn't prepared, but because I was afraid of judgement from my peers. The young woman I know had their own thoughts about me as a teacher, but I was only worried about what the other leaders thought of me. A couple of months went by and I realized that I was preparing my lessons with the leaders in mind and not my young woman. I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me to reach my young woman with my teaching. I was then taken back to my thoughts in Relief Society and who I liked as a teacher and how they taught. I remembered a leader, Lynette, she taught a lesson more as a discussion rather than a lecture and I remember loving that way of learning. I began teaching in this way and the girls began to open up to me. They sat up when I would speak and even were excited to join in the discussion. Even the leaders loved it.
I am grateful to be an instrument in the Lords hands and to have Him lead and guide me in a way that I could bring His daughters back to his fold. I love this gospel and pray that I can continue to be a light as a teacher to the youth as well as to my family. I know that if I teach with love, love is what I will receive in return. Teaching, there is no greater call!

Frustrated!

2012-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

For the past two months of my pregnancy, I've been so sick. Not sick, like morning sickness, but just sick to my stomach ALL DAY. This is the hardest pregnancy I've had. Last month all I could eat was red meat. It was so disgusting. I had to eat steak, hamburger and spam all day. If I didn't do that, I got so weak, that I had to stay in bed all day. At first this wasn't easy. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out that all my baby wanted was meat. I felt like Bella from Twilight. Where her baby only wanted blood. That is basically what I was smelling when I ate the red meat. Now the smell of the blood makes me sick and I can only eat chicken. Oh, this is so frustrating for me! I kind of wish that I just had morning sickness and then be good for the rest of the day, because trying to figure out what my baby needs is so confusing and I'm left either weak in bed or nauseated all day. I'm going on twelve weeks and it seems that this confusion is going to last my whole pregnancy. Not to mention the enormous weight gain I've had. I think I've gained at least 10-15 pounds in two months. I can eat 3 cheeseburgers in one sitting and then 10 minutes later, my stomach will be growling for more. If I don't eat something, I get so weak I have to be in bed. FRUSTRATION and CONFUSION are all I've been feeling these past two months and I hate it. I know that after I have this baby I will most likely be around 250lbs. I wasn't super skinny to start with and at the rate I'm eating I won't be for a looooong time. Uggghhh being sick sucks! I just needed to vent. Pray for me please that this too shall pass...lol!!

Another year older!

2012-01-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

Another year older and wiser! I am 33 years old today. Can you believe that? Wait can I believe that? I am always excited for my birthday, not because I get any special treatment, but because I feel special on that day. I ask myself, does my mom remember how she felt when I was born, what did I do this year to earn another year of life, am I contributing to my society, church, family and friends? What can I do better this next year. I look at a year from my birthday to the next, not "New Years." I also make my goals according to birthday. Have you ever wondered about your birthday or is it just me? I'm going to try something new this year. I'm going to list 33 things that I am thankful for and/or wish to accomplish this year...here I go...

1. The Lords hands in all I do
2. My husband Solomon for his love and support
3. My goal is to love and appreciate my husband more
4. My mom for bringing me into a wonderful family
5. My dad for always being so supportive
6. My goal is to spend more quality time with my parents and to be there for them.
7. My daughter Serena for her example
8. My daughter Jasmine for her zest for life
9. My son Junior for the fight he has in him living with girls...lol
10. My daughter Ebony for her independence
11. My daughter Gabriella for her confidence
12. My unborn child for his/her choice to be with me
13. My goal is to be a better homemaker to my children and to teach them well
14. The calling which I hold so dear to my heart
15. The young woman in my ward who just need to be loved and listened too
16. My goal is to really be there for my young woman in mind, body and spirit
17. The wonderful presidency I work with
18. My goal is to be a better counselor to them and to uphold my calling
19. My sister Sulieta for her free spirit
20. My brother Ifalame Jr for his unselfish giving
21. My sister Dianna for her wonderful sense of humor
21. My brother Toa for his sensitive heart
22. My sister Julina for her go-getter attitude
23. My brother Mykel for his great example of a father
24. My goal is to be more supportive to my siblings and to be more open to change
25. All of my nieces and nephews for the unconditional love and respect they give me
26. My goal is to be more laid back with them this summer and just have fun
27. My bishopric for the support they have given my family and the prayers as well
28. My goal is to be a full tithe payer and to return to the temple soon
29. My body for withstanding so many years of abuse and still be strong
30. My goal for this birthday year is to take care of me "Just do it!"
31. The home I live in, the car I drive and the things that make life easier
32. My goal is to take pride in what I have so that it can last for many years
33. My membership in the greatest, truest church on earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! For this my life has purpose!

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday dear Marcia. Happy birthday to me!! Here's to another year! Thank you for the blessing! Thank you.

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

2012-01-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the movie The Help! I want to buy it for myself when I get some extra cash...lol. But this movie has made me realize how blessed I am to be living during this generation. I feel that the Lord put certain people on this earth at certain times due to their strengths and personalities. I often wonder if polynesians or mexicans were put through the kind of racism that the african/black americans were put through, would there still be an America. We have really bad tempers and I don't think we would be able to follow the laws of the land at that time like black people did, honestly.
I've been thinking a lot about this movie because I teach all the young woman next month. And being that it is the month of "LOVE" I wanted to find something that not only related to love, but to loving themselves. We as woman tend to judge ourselves and eachother negatively. Society tells us that its what men want, but the truth is, it's what woman "think" that men want. I want to teach my young woman not to worry or care about what others feel or think about them, but to say to themselves daily, "You are kind, you are smart, you are important." Repetition is key. If you continually tell yourself that you are ugly and fat, then you start to believe that that is what you are. But if you tell yourself the opposite, you are beautiful and healthy then that is what you will be.
I pray that my young woman learn from what I teach and that I will have the spirit with me to be able to reach them. It's interesting because I feel that every time I teach a lesson, its something that I need to learn from. I'm grateful for the power of prayer and for the Lords answers in His due time.

Why she is my oldest.

2012-01-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty sick these past couple weeks with this pregnancy and it's completely different than my other pregnancies. I can't figure out what I want to eat and when I think I might like something, my body doesn't accept it. I have been throwing up, gagging, starving and having major headaches due to all this confusion that my body is going through. I continually tell myself, " I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." Because, hello, I have 5 children I do know its worth it, but that still doesn't make the sickness go away.
This past weekend has been especially hard for me. I found nits in one of my girls hair and then paranoia hit and I had to shampoo every one's hair and had Sol take all the bedding to the laundry mat to get them cleaned. Then I sat for 7 hours and picked every nit and/or dandruff out of all 4 of my daughters hair. I was starving, uncomfortable, sick to my stomach from the rush of things and just plain exhausted when it was all done. I literally started throwing up afterwards and couldn't even stand. I know it was my fault for not taking breaks between each of my daughters, but if you know me, once I start something, I can't stop. My body let me know immediately when I did stop that it wasn't happy with me.
I can't say enough about my husband. He was such a trooper. He took all the bedding and cleaned it with my son. ( who hated the whole day because all we had to do was cut his hair and then he had to be the slave...lol) Sol then came home and helped me pick out nits, cooked dinner, cleaned the house and then went to the kids basketball game. My body wouldn't take the chicken he cooked, so he then went out and got me pizza. (Crazy I know because soy chicken is my favorite and I can't eat chicken with this baby) He was such a sweetheart and didn't complain once. Well I actually said to him, "you did this to me," when I was crying that I was hungry. LOL he just laughed and went and did what I asked. I'm so dramatic sometimes...
Well since I've been sick, my daughter Serena has been my saving grace. She asks me daily if I'm okay, what do I need, or can she help me with anything. I used to tease my husband about his family in Hawaii because whenever we would fly there, Solomon would have major jet lag and his family all hovered him and babied him til he got better. All the while I sat there like "come on suck it up we all have it"...lol. But this past weekend my daughter Serena did that exact thing to me. She hovered me, took care of me and basically nursed me back to health. I am so humbled by her love for me and for the example my husbands family has been to her. I'm grateful that she has learned from him and his family. There example of love to the sick and needy is something I will look at differently now. My family is loving, but not too affectionate and that is just how we were raised. But I understand why the Lord has sent Solomon to me and gave Serena to me as my oldest. Every time I have gone out of my house to visit family, she has been with me. I feel protected when she is with me. It sounds weird, because she is such a wimp at times, but she is so strong when I am weak. She feeds me, massages my feet, takes care of the kids for me and even put the nix in my hair for me. lol
My unborn baby is blessed to be born to goodly parents, but most especially to be born as a sibling to Serena. I love this girl and I am honored to be her mother! Thank you Serena for loving mommy during this pregnancy.

Young Woman.

2012-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

I can't say enough about my wonderful young woman. I felt kind of incompetent when I was first called and I often wondered why I was given the calling. But I know now, after 2 years, that I was called to learn from these sweet, loving daughters of God. They have taught me to be patient, kind, understanding, and knowledgeable in every aspect of my life, especially in my relationships with my own daughters.
I have not been feeling well these past couple weeks and my young woman did the sweetest thing, they brought me jello and pani popo (sweet rolls in coconut sauce). And then my visiting teachers brought me a plate of homemade brownies. This all happened within 10 hours. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude. I cried tears of joy knowing that my young woman really care for me and thought of me enough to bring me treats. I am humbled by the messages they left for me on face book and the hugs that were given to me at church today. They are so excited for me and my pregnancy and are very supportive also. It amazes me to see the growth in them throughout these past couple of years. I am honored to be a part of their lives and pray that they continue to shine in all aspects of their young womanhood. The 2012 YW theme this year is “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5). My young woman have set that standard for 2012, beautifully!

Baby #6

2012-01-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yay, baby #6 is on his/her way. Its sad to say, but I really hope I have a boy. I have 4 girls and 1 boy and to have a brother for my son would be a dream come true. So pray for me please...lol. I tell everyone I'll cry no matter if I have a boy or girl because I'd be crying tears of joy for a boy and sadness for a girl. LOL j/k This is going to be my last child and it kind of saddens me to think that "I'm done." I wonder often if there are others waiting to join my family, like in Saturdays Warrior, but I haven't felt an intense feeling or want to continue to have more after this one. I have come to a sense of peace that 6 is the number that I can handle and that can handle me. lol I'm grateful to have had all my children and pray that I can lead and guide them the way our Father in Heaven needs me to. Here's to baby #6! Love you no matter if you're a boy or girl :)

Just DO it!

2011-12-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

So I've made it my goal to try and blog at least a couple of times a week. I need to keep track of my children's steps in life, the good and the bad. I have learned a lot from reading other people's blogs that things happen and I just need to deal with it and move on. I think that is what has stopped me from blogging in the past was the not so good times, but I'm over that now. I will be 33(OMGoodness) in less than a month and what have I done with my life??? I really don't remember, because I don't stop to think about it. I NEED to. I need to take a step back sometimes and re-evaluate my life experiences and my dreams. I need to stop and listen to my children, even when they are all speaking to me at the same time. I need to appreciate my husband more, even when he's gone all day. I need to take care of my health, because there is only one ME! So that is what I will be doing this year. Learning and growing. Listening and doing. It's so simple to write, but very difficult to do. So 2012...my word for the year is "DO" and my motto is "Just DO it!" Here I come!!!

Many changes...

2011-05-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I started training at Jetblue, joined a biggest loser competition and stopped eating chocolate..OMGoodness! Working after 6 years of being a stay at home mom was a HUGE change for me and my family. I miss, miss, miss my kids/hubby so, so, so much! I sit and think at certain times of the night what they are doing, eating, who is watching who and how is my working affecting their lives. I work from 4pm-midnight which is straining just thinking about it...lol. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to teach my children that life isn't easy and that we have to make some sacrifices in order to endure to the end. I pray that they will understand that this is only temporary, because the lovely thing about Jetblue is that after training I get to work from home! Yes, bonus for all of us.
The biggest loser competition is such a great motivator for me. I eat only 1700 calories or less a day. The interesting thing is that I don't EVER feel hungry. I know that working and prioritizing my time plays a big part in my eating. I am so busy that I don't even really think about food as often as I used to. I do think about what I'm putting into my body though, before I eat and if I don't make a good choice, I let myself feel the consequences and move on. I don't dwell on it and continue beating myself up over it like I used to.
The choice to cut out chocolate was a smart move on my part...lol. Chocolate is my BIGGEST WEAKNESS! I absolutely love chocolate. I had to have it everyday or I thought my head was gonna explode. In training we get chocolate all the time. Every day I come home with at least 3 mini candy bars and Gabby knows just where to find them in my bag. I told myself before training that I would not eat chocolate and it's been a 6 days today, and guess what??? NO CHOCOLATE.
These changes have been a sacrifice, but a great blessing. I am helping my family financially and physically. I have leaned on the Lord throughout these past few weeks for strength and He has continually blessed me. I am in a happy place and I LOVE it!!

My motivator...

2011-05-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I joined Sinai's biggest loser competition with my friend Lashell, who is our ward YW Pres. We have both been trying to lose weight for a while now. She has lost 50lbs, but gained some of it back. And I've only lost 6lbs in 2 months. I had a lack of motivation and have been trying to figure out how to find my mojo...lol. Well my husband joined a biggest loser competition with a group of friends and came in 2nd place. He lost 30 lbs!! Isn't that great. He was so focused and determined to not only lose the weight, but to make it a lifestyle change. He basically cut rice out of his daily routine and cut down his portion sizes. Instead of eating 3 plates of food...seriously, he ate 2 and eventually got it down to 1. He learned to love salad, and became creative with how he fixed dinner. He also joined a basketball team to make exercising FUN!
I am so excited that he has made this change and is continuing to lose another 30 lbs, because he is not in the best health. He has realized that in order to live a long life, you need to be healthy and put yourself first.
He has been by greatest cheerleader since I've started trying to lose weight. Sometimes he gets on my nerves with his motivation, but I have to learn to love it, even though I secretly HATE it. I mean who likes someone telling them, "um are you sure you want to eat that?" Ugghh shut it! LOL It is for the best, I understand that now. I'm grateful to have him by my side cheering me on. Here we go....see you at the finish line!!!
PS. He won't let me take a picture of him so that you can see his before and after...lol.

12 years!

2011-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that 12 years ago today I had my Serena Angelaite Lealao. That day changed my life FOREVER! She has not once ceased to amaze me from her beauty to her nosey questions...LOL. Serena has grown into a beautiful young woman. I am so honored to call her my daughter. Serena likes list. So for her birthday blog, I'm going to list 12 qualities I admire about her:

1-She knows and loves the Lord with all her heart.
2-She has taught me more about being a mother than any of my children. (obviously)
3-She loves her family (aunts, uncles, cousins included) unconditionally!
4-She is an amazing missionary. (don't talk down about the Church around her)
5-She is not afraid to speak her mind when she feels you are wrong.
6-She is very modest and would let you know when you are not...LOL.
7-She is one of the most gorgeous nerds I know. haha
8-She has been waiting patiently for this day to come, because she will be a YW!
9-She has learned to fight through her fear of basketball.
10-She is my biggest cheerleader.
11-She loves to read and read and read and question and question and question.
12-She is just like me...lol!

I love you Serena so very much. You are my oldest because you proved to the Lord that you have the gift of responsibility, will protect your siblings like a soldier, and love mommy and daddy unconditionally! I'm so grateful to have you in my life Serena. HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY, my beautiful young woman.

A work in progress...

2011-04-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize that I hadn't posted for over a month. Well I'm still working at it. I slipped a couple of times though. I have the working out for 30mins a day, 5days a week down. But the changing of my eating habits will be a tough one. Starting May will be the beginning of my new life. I need to STOP lying to myself about food and just know that it will always be there, but I can't have it for a while. I will stop eating white foods (rice, bread and pasta) and chocolate I will only eat in moderation. I need to slap myself for being weak and losing control of my life, seriously. Hey it's better now than never, right??! Just keep moving....

Overcoming Emotional Eating

2011-03-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

(FYI, I was pregnant in this picture)
I AM AN EMOTIONAL EATER! I have somewhat known that, but was in denial. Bob Greene's book has taught me how to figure out what my triggers are and how to overcome them. I've learned that sleep is a very important part of my health and that the loss of it causes weight gain and overeating. I've learned that writing down everything I eat will help me to take responsibility for what goes and out of my body. I am learning something new about my body daily and it's kind of fascinating. There are a lot of steps to understanding emotional eating and I pray that I can eventually overcome it.

S.O.R.E.

2011-03-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am sooooooo SORE! I am told that after you workout and you're sore, it's a good thing. Ummm, are you serious? I've never been this SORE before, yet I've never been this determined either. Right now, I need a spa massage, a couple of hours in a jacuzzi and a looonnnggg nap. My "pretend personal trainer" off of the EA Active is so hard on me...LOL! But the workout is very fun, so it doesn't feel as if I'm working out, it's more of a competition, which I LOVE. I've lost another 2 pounds...yay! My goal is becoming more and more real. Bob Greene is slowly helping me to break down my barriers. It's all in the mind, literally. Once you have made up your mind, like seriously made up your mind, nothing can stop you. Unfortunately my mind hasn't stopped my chocolate cravings. That is my biggest barrier..ugghh and it totally annoys me that I can't JUST SAY NO! Please pray for me or send me ways that I could get past this addiction. Thank you!! :) Here's to 100+ more days of being SORE...wish me luck!

Just keep moving...

2011-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yes! I lost 2 pounds last week, just from working out. Imagine if I ate better, how much I would've lost...LOL! But I am proud of myself and I'm on track with my life change. Today I started EA Active 2 with the WII and it's pretty intense. At first I was like, okay this is nothing and then they had me jumping rope, playing basketball while lunging and dirt bike racing and I was the bike. There are pros and cons working out with the WII, but I can't deny that it was a workout indeed! I am also more and more aware of what I put in my mouth and how it affects my body. Which is one of Bob Greene's challenges. It makes me think twice sometimes before I eat. I'm liking the beginning stages of the new me. A plus to my working out, is that Sol has joined a "Biggest Loser" competition with a group of his friends. He lost 8 pounds in a week,(so unfair) and is a great example/motivator for me. I'm grateful that we are changing our lives for the best. Our children need us and we need us. As long as I keep moving daily, my life will become what I want it to be!!

As a side note: Juniors team took 2nd place in his All-County league tournament and Jasmines, Jazzy Girls team, took the Championship in their PARA league basketball tournament! I am so proud of my kids and for their dedication to their love of basketball. Serena and Jas took 2ND in their school science fairs. And Jasmine took 3rd in the district. So now off to State! Ebony won a principals award in reading. I'm so proud of my lil children!! Wooowhooo!!

Day 4...136 days to go!

2011-03-04T10:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, as well as today, so far were wonderful days. I worked out for an hour and it felt sooooo good. I didn't even realize I was working out for so long because I was reading while doing the elliptical. Once I get to reading nothing else matters. So I found my secret to working out...reading!! Yay me...lol! But I am slowing become more and more aware of what I'm eating and how I feel after I eat. I haven't stopped eating the not so good foods, but I don't eat as much of it. I don't want to burn myself out by exercising and dieting at the same time. So first I want to get myself moving and eventually the food part will come. I love Bob Greene's book. He is teaching me that we as humans have barriers that stop us from living our best life. That is so true. So he is challenging me to break down the barriers and love myself! Things are starting to look up and I'm hoping that it just keeps going up from here!! Here's to tomorrow...

Day 2...138 days to go!

2011-03-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today was not a good day. I don't even want to post what I ate. But I do want to talk about the book I bought today. It's Bob Greene's book titled The Life You Want: Get Motivated, Lose Weight, and Be Happy. I just started reading it and I love it. I knew that in order for me to lose weight and keep it off, I needed to motivate myself and to really know why I turn to food for comfort.

Here is my favorite excerpt from his book so far: "Many people who don't triumph at weight loss beat themselves up without taking into consideration that humans are predisposed to eat as much fat and sugar as possible to conserve our energy and to avoid discomfort-all of which contribute to the difficulty of changing eating and exercise habits. The truth is, there are some things about your physiology that you can't change, and a natural propensity to seek pleasure is one of them.
What you can change, however, is what gives you pleasure as well as your tolerance for discomfort."

I have come to realize that I need to change my pleasure of eating all types of chocolate to mainly dark chocolate and my tolerance for it as well. This will take a looooooooooong time. But I know I can do it and I pray that I eventually will be able to do without my DAILY chocolate fix. On to another day...goodnight~

Day 1...139 days to go!

2011-03-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of my life change and I wasn't too prepared. I stayed out late last night and woke up way too early this morning. I took a nap in the afternoon which left me feeling like crap. I hate when I do this and knew that when I succumbed to the nap, that that would be my consequence. Anyways this was my menu for the day:

Breakfast-
1 cookie
1 fruit snack pack
6 strawberries w/ about a 1/2 cup of cream cheese dip
water
Lunch-
1 meat pie
1/2 cup crab salad
water
Snack-
2 oatmeal raisin cookies
Dinner-
1 chicken thigh
1 slice of wheat bread (my new favorite bread)
water
Dessert-
6 strawberries w/ 1/2 cup of cream cheese dip

Workout:
30 mins on the elliptical (woowhoo finally after 2 months!)

I know, I know, not such a great start for my first day, but it can only get better. On a side note, I actually did couponing today (LOVE IT) and saved 63%. All in all the weather today was beautiful and my goal was not so beautiful. So on to a better day tomorrow. Good night!

20 weeks...140 days...50 lbs to lose....thats my goal!

2011-02-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

So I have been doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING since Christmas day this past year. I have been content to just sit around, surf the net, and literally do NOTHING! I have been asking myself lately, why? Why have I been so lazy and so unmotivated to do anything? Am I depressed, am I sick, am I missing something in my life or do I just love food and being fat? I came to the conclusion that I'm literally just burnt out and I need a break. A break from the hustle and bustle or life. A break from the norm or what people perceive as the norm. I just needed to find me...and I did. I am taking a class in leadership ( I love learning) I got a job (I haven't worked in 5 years) and I stopped shopping compulsively (This was huge for me). Basically I've come to realize that I'm 32 years old and that I need to start loving myself. I was married young and had kids right after. So the years that were "supposedly" set aside for me to find my purpose in life, were laid out for me with no searching to be found. I am a wife and mother (which I love) but I am not me. I am not Marcia Motuliki anymore. I became Marcia Lealao and I lost myself. Just because my "purpose" changed, doesn't mean that I needed to change everything else about me...but I did. I lost my identity! So how do I find this lost identity??? By doing exactly what I did...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
I just listened to my body, my mind, my spirit. I really talked to myself and really for the first time in years, looked at myself, literally (and it wasn't too cute...LOL). And I didn't like what I heard or seen. So I've come to realize that now, Marcia Lealao's purpose is HAPPINESS. I know it sounds so cliche' but that's all that matters right? Like the saying goes, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." That seriously is my life. During my absolutely nothing stage, I seen the impact I have on my family. I apologize for their unhappiness because it was largely due to me. I am their #1 example. I am who my children look up to, admire and strive to be like. Do I want them to be like me...NO not right now. But that's the lovely thing about the gospel that I live. Repentance/forgiveness is the key to happiness. I make a mistake, I repent, ask for forgiveness and move on...
And so here I am spilling my guts out on this blog admitting to all of you and especially to myself that it's time for a change in my life. Because once it is written there is no turning back, I've got to follow through with actions now. Here are my goals:
1. GET HEALTHY
2. SMILE FROM WITHIN
3. BECOME IN TUNED WITH MY SPIRIT
In doing these 3 things I will gain happiness. I am giving myself 20 weeks, 140 days to lose 50 lbs or fat, stress, guilt, and unhappiness. In doing so I want to gain a healthier perspective on life and one that gives me purpose. A life that is filled with doing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING for me and my happiness! Which in turn will only make my family happier!
This temporary goal begins on March 1st and ends July 23rd. I will try to write about my progress daily. Wish me luck!! New me here I come....

32!

2011-01-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today my husband of 12 years turns 32. He is not one to celebrate his birthday, so every year I try to keep it mellow. He and a friend put together a basketball team last year and he just loves them to death. Sometimes I feel he loves them more than me. LOL (seriously though) Well being that his birthday fell on a Sunday this year, I took donuts to their basketball game yesterday and told all the parents and the other coach, Mani, that I would like the girls to sing Happy Birthday to Sol. So after the girls won a very competitive game 11-10, we all went in the hall so that Mani and Sol could have their little pep talk that they give after the games. The girls moved in to huddle and Mani didn't let Sol come into the huddle. He was telling the girls that on 3 they were to start singing, and that's exactly what they did! It was so cute. Solomon had no idea. He was so embarrassed and even blushed...ahahaha. I loved seeing his reaction. I was upset with myself, because I didn't even take pictures of any of it. Oh well, it's one of those memorable moments.
Solomon is a very hard working man. He works 2 jobs, goes to school full-time, and coaches 2 basketball teams, he is a great father and friend to me. I love this man and want to thank him for all that he does for our family. Happy Birthday Sol "Dear" I LOVE YOU!!

Do you skip still?

2010-12-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

I had a little aha moment this morning as I was watching my children get ready for church. We start at 11am, so I wake them up at 9am, in hopes that we'll make it on time. As each of them awoke they all started complaining how tired they were and then began dragging their feet to get ready. (The usual) Well all but one of them was not happy. My daughter Ebony came skipping into my bedroom to get the brush and then skipped out. She came skipping back into the room to get something else and then back out. She did this the whole time she was getting ready. I finally said to her, "Ebony why are you skipping?" And she says, "I'm happy to go to church!" Wow. I thought to myself, 'Cia, you need to put a lil skip in your step from now on.' I turned to my husband and said to him, "did you skip when you were younger." He said, "yeah, you only do that when you're young." I said, "Skipping is something so simple and yet brings immediate happiness." I challenge you all to try it if you haven't skipped in awhile. You cannot do it without a smile on your face. Let's all put a lil skip in our steps this holiday season!! Merry Christmas bloggers!

First Black Friday without my dad.

2010-11-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

Ever since I had my first child I have gone to Black Friday with my dad and some of my other siblings. My dad loved being part of the mayhem and madness that Black Friday brings. So it just became a tradition. We all loved going with him because he became our wallet...LOL! He would see things and say just get it for your kids I'll pay for it. We would always say, "okay dad." haha j/k My dad would get in arguments, push people out of our way, and we would get my dads back when people would cuss him out. He seriously thought he was the Walmart Black Friday police...LOL! My mom hated our funny stories of dads drama sessions...haha Slowly our family members stopped coming because the craziness wasn't worth it, but my dad and I who are die hards went by ourselves last year. It was so cute. He didn't buy one thing, but just wanted to be in the mix of the event. I loved that experience with him, because I never spend one on one time with him. He also bought me breakfast and we just talked, just me and my dad. That is one memory I will never forget. (tears)
Anywayz, this year my dad didn't go. I know he wanted to because he kept asking who was going, but he had to work. He's really gotten to old to be doing Black Friday though. So I was just gonna go alone. And then my two saving graces (Anna and Klarah) came to my rescue. We had fun. Well maybe me and Anna more than Klarah, because we have girls and girls are more fun to shop for. I was so grateful to have them with me. This is what we did:

10pm-1:30am -Toys R Us ( We will never do that again. Toys r Us sucks and they are so unorganized. Do NOT go to their Black Friday)
1:30-3:30 -Walmart (loved it)
3:30- Del Taco (for a quick bite to eat)
4am-5:00- JCPenny (loved it)
5am-6:30 - Target (loved it)
6:30am- Walmart (again to look for DS lite)
7am - Home

I never shopped like that on a Black Friday. It was so much fun being with the girls and shopping til we dropped. I came home and slept til 1pm. My dad called me and asked who I went with and for how long. So cute. I then went and did some more shopping with my hubby from 3pm-7pm. We ended the night at California Pizza Kitchen and then I came home and knocked out til 9:30 am this morning. I am totally shopped out and grateful that my Christmas shopping is DONE!! Thank you Klarah and Anna for hanging in there while I dragged you all over SLC. Love ya and Black Friday!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2010-11-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have started a new tradition with my family. We will give gifts of thanks to all our/their teachers and friends at Thanksgiving and during Christmas we will give gifts of love to our family. This way I am not so overwhelmed with giving so many people gifts. I can break it up in two months and feel the love throughout the holiday season.
So last night we delivered our gifts. Everyone was so touched and surprised at receiving gifts of thanks, that it gave us all a warm feeling of happiness and satisfaction that our tradition is appreciated. I was grateful to have my children part of this process in buying, wrapping, making cards of thanks, and giving. I feel that it has taught them to love and appreciate their teachers and friends.
I am truly grateful for all the trials and tribulations that 2010 has brought to my life. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be so grateful to be where I am right now. I am so thankful to all the people who I have crossed paths with and for their examples that they have bestowed upon me. I am thankful for my calling and for the great presidency that I work with. They are such an inspiration to me. I have learned something great from each and every one of them. I am grateful to be an instrument to God in working with 30 beautiful young women. They try me at times, but I have learned to love and know each one of them individually. I am most grateful for my children and my husband. They are my life! They are what has kept me going and continue to make me want to strive to be a mother/wife of Zion. I love my family, friends and the wonderful religion that I have been blessed to be raised in.
Happy Thanksgiving!! Now eat, drink plenty or water and get ready for Black Friday...LOL! Love you all!

We are the Champions, We are the Champions...

2010-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Today was my sons East little league's CHAMPIONSHIP banquet! My son plays for East and my husband coached their defense. I was a little reluctant to even have my son play this year, because last year East was totally unorganized. But you know my hubby is a die hard football fan, so he won. Well it was such a fun year! My son ran the ball and made touchdowns, tackled people so hard, I wondered if he himself wasn't hurt and made some lasting friendships with his teammates. Junior is the only boy in our family. So you'd understand why he loved going to football and hanging out with the boys for 4 hours a day! He didn't know what to do with himself last week, because football was over...LOL! But his Gremlin team won their CHAMPIONSHIP and it was the most AWESOME game ever. It was one of those can't sit down want to jump in the game and play type of games for me...hahaha. I know crazy huh! My voice was gone at the end of that game and I had a huge rush of energy when they WON!
I am so proud of my husband for being there for my son as well as his team throughout the season. He only missed one game, our anniversary weekend, which was a huge sacrifice for him. Solomon took his coaching "job" very seriously and hated when anyone would score on his defense. Even when East won, if someone scored on his defense that was all he could think about til the next game. My brother Lame said to him, "Dang boy, your defense only allowed 58 points TOTAL for the season. That's a lil over one touchdown a game." Sol was all proud, grinning from ear to ear! They played 11 games, lost 1 game and shut out 5 teams. I would have to say CONGRATULATIONS to my defense coach....hahaha!
Today at the banquet which was held at Rocky Mountain Pizza, they had the championship game playing while we were eating and then after the award ceremony, we watched a slide show. My daughter Jasmine turned and said to me, "I'm gonna miss football season." Awww, we had such a good year and I hope this team stays together for many years to come! "WHO ARE, WHO ARE, WHO ARE WE?? WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE EAST!

Just Me!

2010-10-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a blogging G.N.O. and in order to enter the party, you had to bring a blog written about you without stating if you were married or had children. It was a guessing game so that we could get to know one another. This was my blog:

How do I describe myself without stating my marital status or whether I have children or not? This is a tough one for me. My whole identity is family. This post is taking me out of my comfort zone and enabling me to realize that I am more than that…

~I am a daughter of goodly parents who I love and who love me dearly.

~I am blessed to have been born into the covenant of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

~I am of ethnic background and my life stems from the culture that was planted in me at such an early age. (Whether I want to admit it or not…hahaha)

~I come from a very humorous bunch of siblings, who brighten my day through talk, text and Face book!

~I have not always stayed on the straight and narrow, but quickly learned that repentance is truly a gift that I should not take for granted, but to be grateful for.

~I love to be home. It is my safe haven and a great comfort to me. It is slowly but surely becoming my Heaven on earth.

~I have always had an imagination and I lose myself in books. Some say I’m a bookworm, I say I’m just having fun…LOL!

~I was blessed with the gift of listening, but I seldom listen to myself. (A goal that I’m trying to self-master)

~I am a shy girl around everyone, even my family. I’m weird like that.

~I enjoy life, whether I am sitting at home or relaxing with family and friends. But nothing beats a GirlsNightOut.!

My Gabriella!

2010-10-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my baby is 2 years old today. She is absolutely adorable. Gabby brightens every ones day when she's around. She is just so dang cute. Gabby loves to dance. She recently started mimicking us or anyone who dances around her. It's so funny to watch her try to do a Polynesian dance, hip hop dance, even the cha cha cha. I'm going to have to video tape her. Like I said she's so dang cute. Gabby has all of us in our household wrapped around her little fingers. She gets what she wants when she wants. She tries to get her way with her cousins who are her age and they won't stand for it. She becomes so undercover and "pretends" that she didn't hit them, but is always so quick to say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She's so dang cute...LOL. But really those are her favorite words, 'I'm sorry.' She is very loving and caring towards everyone. She is always wanting to take care of you if you're hurt or if you look like you've had a hard day. I love this about her. I am so grateful to have her in my life. She is my little curly girl. I love you Gabby!! Love mommy.

My Ebony!!

2010-10-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

6 years ago today my Ebony was born. She came into this world weighing a whopping 9lbs 2oz. Crazy, I know. As you can imagine, the labor was painful. But the only painful thing about Ebony is the volume she uses to speak. OMG, she wasn't only my biggest baby, but she also has the biggest mouth! You would've never thought this was so when she was younger, because she was so quiet. She was raised by the TV, and so she has quite the imagination. Seriously, I love that she can just entertain herself, without a cell phone, radio, TV, or even toys. She has imaginary friends and its so funny to watch her feed, talk and play with them. Everybody loves Ebony. She is so entertaining and so fun to be around. She is the life of the party without even knowing it! She makes friends wherever we go. From the post office to the park, Ebony tends to make friends with anyone and everyone. I love this girl and feel that she is everything that I'm not, but wish to be. She is so sure of herself in everything she does. She doesn't like to play sports, clean, or sit still. All Ebony likes to do is PLAY and annoy her siblings....LOL! I'm so grateful to have her in my life. She is my lil white girl and I love her soooooooo very much. I LOVE YOU EBONY!! Happy 6th Birthday! Love Mommy.

My Jas....

2010-07-04T02:16:00.001-07:00

Today Jasmine turns 10! She is my lil spunky monkey. I love this girl to death. Every year we have made it a tradition to come to Hawaii for Jasmines birthday which is on the 4th of July. We tell her that the fireworks off the beach are just for her. She absolutely loves it and so do the rest of my kids. We camp on the beach the night before and then spend the whole day at the beach swimming and bbq-ing. The night ends with a movie played on this huge screen and then fireworks. Jasmine loves it all! We are out here in Hawaii right now. Jasmine was put into a basketball camp for the weekend. She is very competitive and LOVES sports. No matter if we are in Utah or here in Hawaii, everyone who knows her, knows she loves to play ball and will do whatever they can to get her involved where they are at. What makes it even better, is that she loves it and never lets them down.
Jasmine doesn't only love sports, but she loves her family. She is very protective. If anyone does anything to hurt them, she is always the first one there to protect them. Aunt, uncle, mom, dad, cousins, siblings, grandma, grandpa....she will fight for any one of them. At the same time, she is also very sensitive. She does not like to be brought down. She'll fight her tears til the bitter end, and when she does break down...she breaks down!
I love you Jasmine and I'm grateful that you chose me, to be your mother. It's an honor for me and I adore you. I hope you have a wonderful 10th birthday.!! Ummma from Gabby!!

Happy 9th birthday Junior!

2010-06-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

9 years ago today I gave birth to my only son Junior. I remember his birth more than any of my other kids, because he came within 45 mins from the time I started contractions at home. When I drove up to the hospital and got into my room, I was ready to push. My best friend Angie and my mom were taking their sweet little time coming into my room, because they thought I would just be getting all my monitors set up, but instead I was pushing my sweet lil Junior out...LOL! Before Junior was born, Solomon didn't want to have him named after him. He said that he wasn't named after his dad, so it wouldn't matter. So I chose the name Casanova. Funny I know, but I loved that name. And I was going to nickname him Nova. When Junior came out, Solomon started crying and asked me if he could name him Solomon Sima Lealao Jr. And what a perfect name for him! They are exactly alike. Junior has the same size head as Sol and the same hot temper. He looks just like me though, thank goodness..hahha j/k.

I love this boy sooooo much. He does little loving things for me that touches me more than he knows. He'll put a blanket on me when I fall asleep on the couch, when we get home late at night, he makes sure all the girls are in first, he ALWAYS says goodnight and I love you mommy, he thinks he's my defender from all the guys who he thinks are looking at me (so cute), he tells me I'm beautiful on a daily basis, and he likes to sit and conversate with me. He is also a tester of my nerves, because he lives in a house full of girls and is always fighting for his space. I'm trying to better that. My hope for Junior is that he grows to be a man of God. That he honors his priesthood and serves a full time mission. My hope is that he never stops doing the little loving things he does for me. I LOVE YOU JUNIOR! HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY.

Success!

2010-06-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

My Young Women carnival was a complete success. We made more than anyone that I know has ever heard of. This was our first year and the first time a carnival has been done in our stake, and I feel we did pretty well. There are obviously some things that we could've done better. But it's a live and learn process. Next year will be even better and I pray we make even more. I'm grateful to the Lord for His hand in our work. He lead us in the right direction and even blessed us with His spirit throughout the whole process. My presidency all came together that day and we worked exceptionally well as a team. I am honored to work with these women and hope to one day take a lil piece of them and work it into my life.
The day of the carnival began with chaos and ended with pure exhaustion and joy! We had no tables in our ward, our Young Women were extremely tired (it was 6:30am) and we had more people there than we anticipated, so we needed to call for some support. All in all we grossed $3330. It was such a successful fundraiser and I'm so happy that it is finally over!

Doing nothing.

2010-05-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

So I've been pretty busy with my Young Women carnival fundraiser and haven't had time for my normal life. The carnival is officially 9 days away and I'm freakin nervous...to say the least. My young women, all 30 of them, came over to my house last night for mutual to finish up their booths. I was so excited about the turnout because I can feel and see the support from our girls. They are very dedicated to this fundraiser and I need it to go smooth for them. They've put a lot of time and effort into this and I just don't want to disappoint them. I have been working out daily, because it's what wakes me up in the morning. I've eaten pretty good, because I don't really have an appetite. Our family has started reading our scriptures nightly, because I seriously need the Lord right now. And I've broken out really bad all over my face! What the crap is that all about?! I know I'm stressing, but when I was eating chocolate everyday and stressing, I had the clearest skin. Now I'm going through the opposite. I don't care what all the "professionals" say about chocolate, it's good for ME!! lol Anywayz, that's my life in a nutshell. I miss doing nothing. I mean I did mom stuff, but this is craziness! I miss couponing also. The last time I had a major coupon trip was last month. It really gets me on a high that takes me a couple of days to come down from. And that is why I can't do it right now with all the madness. Wow I needed to release some of my feelings. Enjoy doing nothing...ahhaha!

Do you get nervous when you're in charge of something?

Is your life crazy right now?

What do you think about chocolate?

Sushi Yah!

2010-05-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went out for my friend/cousin Mele Tausinga's 31st birthday to Zushi Yah. Me, Mele, Lyni, and Isa along with Mele's sister Fane and cousin ( I forgot her name, but i'll write it in later). Lyni and Isa had been to Zushi Yah before, but the rest of us hadn't. It's an all you can eat sushi restaurant. I have never really eaten sushi before. I just tasted it about 2 months ago and liked it, but since eating at this restaurant I LOVE Sushi! Our first roll was a crispy roll with shrimp, cream cheese and something else. It was fried and delicious. We also had a tuna roll, nigiri sushi with eel, salmon and octopus (which we didn't order) and some other rolls. I tried every type of sushi that was ordered, besides the octopus, and it was sooooooo good! We stayed there for about 3 hours trying to finish just our first order. The deal at Zushi Yah is that it is an all you can eat restaurant and if you have any food left on your plate, you have to pay for it. So we kind of had to visit the restroom a couple of times to get rid of the evidence. We were so loud at our table, and I swear everyone thought we were a bunch of lesbians who were drunk...LOL! We had so much fun and our conversation was hilarious!! Mele is such a sweet and very honest person. She is very blunt and sometimes doesn't know how blunt she is. She is so funny without trying to be. She is such an incredible mother. She has so much patience with her children and with life itself. She married to a great man who spoils her unconditionally. I love this girl and her cute lil/big familia!! Happy Birthday Mary!

Worn out!

2010-05-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have finally "allowed" myself to realize that I am literally worn out. I have been on such an emotional roller coaster this week. Today I was able to sit and be still in my thoughts and I couldn't even stay awake. My body wanted, well needed to rest, but my mind was still running at a hundred miles an hour. I didn't listen to my body, so now I have a headache. Even while writing this post! I'm relaxed and ready for bed, but my mind is still running. I need to listen to my body for once and just breath. I'm on an anxiety high with my carnival, my daughters 5th grade graduation (hello it's only elementary LOL) and just life period. I'm going to "allow" myself right now, to not do a dang thing for the rest of the evening. I will be doing a 5k tomorrow with our stake, called the Cannonball Run, so I need to be well rested. Til next time...listen to your body, it knows best!

Tonight made it all real...

2010-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight our Young Women along with the help of our Young Men went out and began pre-selling our Carnival fundraiser tickets. OMGoodnes, I have been waiting for this day since February, and it finally has arrived. We need to raise at least $1300 for our 30 girls to get to girls camp. All of our girls showed up to go out and raise their money. They were all motivated and put their game faces on. It was such a thrill. I brought along Jasmine and Serena to help. We separated the girls into 12 groups. We combine our activities with the 9th ward, so we had to cover 600 houses. My group consisted of Serena, Jas, me and Vida. It was so much fun. Vida is our stake Young Women's counselor and Solomons aunt. So we were told to go to 50 houses and we ended up going to all the homes of Vida's friends and about 10 of our assigned houses. We raised $187 after 2 hours of selling. Jasmine was my little sales lady. She was so confident in her sales pitch. Serena was the ticket holder and had a shy confidence, but she did her part. It was fun. So after 2 hours of selling, we all came back together at the ward and counted the money. We made an awesome $897.00. Isn't that crazy? All the groups were not able to get to every home in 2 hours, but could you imagine if we did. We would've made our goal in one night. I am soooooo excited now. Tonight made everything I've been working for for the past 4 months, REAL! I'm so proud of my Young Women and especially proud of my lil group. If you want information about our carnival let me know. I will be posting more information later!!

Service is...

2010-05-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sister Anna asked me to help her with her Primary activity that she was in charge of. If you don't already know, she has also been called as the new Primary president of her ward, but has not been officially called in her ward yet. Well just from yesterdays experience and watching her with the kids, I know that she will be an excellent president. She has such a fun personality that draws the kids in. At the activity she had 4 stations. A decorate a cookie station (my favorite because the cookies were sooooo delicious) a Fathers day origami making card station, a Fathers day decorate a frame station and a sock game station. Each of the old presidency were there manning their stations. The were very supportive. My mom, sister Eta, sis in law Klarah and myself were helping them with each of the stations. It was so cute. I hope she post pictures of what they did, if not I'll take pictures and try to post them. It was so much fun being able to serve my sister along with her primary. I will never forget the saying, "When you are in the service of your fellow being, you are only in the service of your God." My dad constantly taught us this principle. I love the feeling of service. I have taught my kids another saying that I learned in seminary, "Service is like peeing your pants, everyone sees it, but only you feel the warmth inside." LOL My kids don't really like that one, but hey it gets the meaning across. Good job Anna.

Part II

2010-05-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

Like I said in my previous post, I'm going to write about the answer that came to me through my prayers. So as I was praying, really praying, I could see clearly what the Lord was wanting me to see. I was asking Him what it was that I could do better as a mother and what it was that has brought about this change in Serena. Then in my mind, I could see her walking into our home and feeling automatic tension. Sol and I have been going through some difficult times and I could see while I was praying that this is affecting Serena in a negative way. Obviously. The answer I got was that I needed to make my home a place of PEACE and REVERENCE! The truth hit me so hard that I began hysterically crying. I immediately asked for forgiveness for creating such an environment for my children. Another image came to me and that was of myself sitting on my laptop when the kids came home from school and Serena was sitting across from me trying to talk to me. It was the exact scene that if I had just paid more attention and given her more of my time, this whole thing could have been dealt with sooner. Again I asked for forgiveness. And then another scene of Serena came into my mind of her sleeping peacefully. What I got from this was that that was the only time in her day that she was able to experience PEACE. I immediately felt at peace. I felt that I was forgiven and that I needed to forgive her also. I know that her mistake was a cry for help and that I needed to answer with LOVE and give her PEACE! I ended my prayer with so much gratitude towards the Lord for helping me to see my life clearly and for communicating instantly with me. I have such a strong testimony of prayer and I'm grateful that the Lord trusts me to raise His heavenly children here on earth and also to be there for me when I myself make mistakes. This experience has taught me so much and from that day I have strived to become a better mother and daughter of God. I know that my trials don't end here, they are merely beginning, but I also know that the Lord will be there to help me every step of the way, if I just ask. I'm a whole new mommy now!!

Trials as a mother.

2010-05-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was looking through my purse to see how much money I had left so that I could grab some things from the store. Well I noticed that $5 was missing. I immediately thought that Sol took it for his lunch, but then a feeling came over me that it wasn't him, it was Serena. I knew why. She came into the living room and had a $5 bill in her hand. I asked her where she got it and she said from her friend. They made a bet and she won. I was too consumed with what I was doing and let it go. That's where I went wrong. I should've probed into it more, but I didn't. Well I confronted her in the kitchen that same day. First I asked Sol to make sure, and then I asked Serena. She flat out lied to my face. When I told her that I would call the school tomorrow and ask the girl if she gave her money, she still stood her ground. I said "Serena are you being honest with me?" She said, "yes mommy I promise." That nearly killed me. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was lying. I then said, "don't make promises you can't keep." She broke down and said, "what is my punishment if I did take it?" Wow, she really wanted to know her punishment before she told the truth. Hello, does she not know that stealing and lying are wrong. I said there is no punishment if you didn't do it, but if you did, you will have to pay the money back. She then admitted that she took it. She said she took it because she couldn't find her money and just thought we shared. I said to her, "did you ask me where your money was, so that I could remind you that we moved it?" She just nodded her head no. I called my husband into the room and had all the kids go downstairs so that we could deal with this. I was shocked that she had no remorse in her eyes, or even tears. She just sat there cold and lost. I became worried that she didn't UNDERSTAND that what she did was wrong. I mean we teach our kids to Choose The Right, but are we really teaching them what that means. My husband said just slap her and she'll learn her lesson and that's when she started crying. I said no, that is too easy, I need her to understand and learn from her mistakes. In the end I told her that she was committing criminal acts and so her punishment will be that in a way. She will pay back restitution for what she did and she will not be able to go anywhere or talk to anyone before and after school. So she had to clean the windows and the blinds in the whole house and was grounded for a day. I needed her punishment to reflect her mistake in a way. I then became numb for the rest of the day. I am so worried about her. I prayed right after that ordeal and then basically cried myself to sleep as I was praying for her again. I can see now, why the Lord chose to put me into Young Women's. He is preparing me for what's yet to come. I pray that Serena learns from her mistakes now, rather than later. I love her so much and it just hurts to know that she is crying out for my attention in a negative way. I asked the Lord to help me be a better mother to her and the rest of my children. I need them to know that I LOVE them.

Part two of this post will come later. I had an answer to my prayers and I'll write about it when I have more time.

Speechless.

2010-05-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

When I was scrolling through some of the blogs that I follow. I came upon this picture followed by a poem about Mothers. I was speechless. This picture does not need words to describe it. I was almost drawn to tears. It reminds me of myself with my baby Gabby. I love this picture. I think I will print this picture and hang it in my home.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

My Mothers Day gifts.

2010-05-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today my husband surprised me with an appointment to get my van detailed. I was so excited, but a little upset at the same time. Yes I know that at least he thought about doing something special for me, but he didn't consider what I had planned for the day. Oh and did I write that we only have one car. Well luckily for him, lol, I mean us my sister wasn't using her car so we were able to borrow hers for 5 hours. Yes that is how long it took this man to detail just the inside of our van...5 hours. At first he said to my husband over the phone, "oh it will only take about 2 hours." But after he seen it in person, it changed to 5. He called my husband and said, "your van is very, very dirty, I will need it for 4 to 5 hours!" LOL No, we are not filthy people, it's just after having our van for 6 years and having 5 children, and never professionally cleaning it, it obviously was DIRTY!!
When we went to pick it up, OMG, our van looked brand new!! I was totally shocked. From the filthy ceiling to the floor, from the door panels, to the ash tray, it was immaculately clean. I ABSOLUTELY love it. This definitely be on my top 10 greatest Mothers Day gifts. It's not a normal gift. It's one I've wanted for a while, but my husband always got me the same ol thing. I am grateful that he thought outside of the box and did something "thoughtful" for me. I would post pictures, but I didn't take any before ones, so it will just look like a clean car. But just imagine it...hahaha!
Another gift I got for myself was made by my sister in law, Tala. She has a blog called Motuliki Create. She sells her creative concoctions and you can purchase them from her etsy shop. Her button is on my page. But it is so cute. She lives in St. George, so her mom was coming up here this weekend and brought it to me. I love it. I'm going to surround it with pictures of my kids that Kayleen took. I will post the final product when I'm done.
If you know my family, we like to give our gifts early. I love the gifts I have received and just want to tell all you mothers out there. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

Called to the principals office.

2010-05-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

When someone attacks a bears cubs, mama bear reacts!! That is exactly what got me into the principals office today. Hilarious thinking back on my mama bear moment, but I don't regret defending my child.
Yesterday after school, my kids were all running to my van. Well Serena is on honor patrol, which are a group of students who patrol the halls and get the kids across the street safely, so she stays after until most of the kids are picked up. There were about 15 or so kids left just hanging out. Anyways, as my kids were running to my van I heard a boy yell, "Serena's a b*&$#!" I turned to where this lil boy was yelling from and I thought did I hear that right. And he looks at me and says, "Serena is a B*&^%!"
Mama bear came out instantly. The gospel left my mind at that moment and I went off on this lil boy. I leaned out my window and said something along the lines of "What did you just say to my daughter. I know you're not talking about my daughter. Do you even know what that word means. Don't you ever, ever, ever disrespect my daughter in your life. If I ever hear that you call her that disgusting name I will hunt you down and beat you! Did you hear me. I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND BEAT YOU! This lil boy at first looked at me in shock and then because I was freaking out for a while starts to become brave again. All of his friends as well as some other kids were standing there with mouths wide open, not believing that this is happening. If you know me, you know that this is not my normal. But the fact that he used that word on my child and so loosely, set me off.
He looked at me as if he were all cool and said, "So what you can't find me." I started shaking because I was so angry, but I wouldn't let myself get out of my van. I knew that if I got our I would've slapped this boy into tomorrow and then be locked up...lol . I said, "boy trust me. Do you know what hood you're in. This is Glendale and I own this. I can find you just like that and I will beat you down if you dare say that to my daughter again. Remember that "B" word BEAT because that's what I'll do to you if you disrespect my daughter again! And I drove off. As I did I could hear all the kids laughing hysterically at this boy. I knew immediately that that scenario could have been handled better, but it was too late. I called Gina (Larsen) Blake at the school and told her what had happened. She said she'll take care of it and call me later.
Well that brings me to the principals office moment. Gina called me today and asked to come and talk with the principal about what happened. I wasn't worried or afraid. I knew that since this happened on school grounds they needed to make a report. So I went and talked with the principal. She was very understanding and just asked me questions as if I were a child, because hello that's exactly how I acted...lol, but she was very professional about it. We continued our talk about how we as mothers act on impulse when someone hurts our child. I told her that this is a "I can't believe I did that moment for me." Her main concern which I appreciated was Serena. She didn't want her to internalize what had happened as okay or be embarrassed. But she was not being judgemental at all about any of it. She also apologized that there was no one out there to protect my child from any of this even happening. Usually there is a teacher out there, but not yesterday. She apologized over and over for that and said that from now til the end of the school year, all outside staff will be on patrol, no excuses. She as well as the vice principal shared stories with me about their "I can't believe I did that moments." All in all this was a lesson well learned on all sides. I didn't have to go to the principals office, but I wanted to let her know that I wasn't going to hunt this lil boy down or hurt him in any way. It was a mama bear reaction. I think the boy would have rather that had happened because he got suspended for a day, no recess for the rest of the year and he cannot leave the school until all students have left the school grounds. I told the principal, I think what I did was enough, but she informed me that as she was talking to the students, a lot of girls told her what a jerk he had been to them and all the mean and degrading things he was saying to them as well. So I hope he learns his lesson. Hey maybe it was meant to be. Maybe I needed to bring this lil boy down a couple notches. I'd like to think I changed his life for the better...lol.
I have to go repent now...seriously!

Let the games begin!!

2010-05-03T12:03:00.001-07:00

I've joined a biggest loser competition and I AM GOING TO WIN!!! Look at my before picture, so not cute. It was taken in Hawaii last year. Well we're going to Hawaii again this year on July 4th. I will be at least 20+ pounds lighter. I am ready and it's time to get my act together.

Well the competition was put together by Inga Tukuafu. It was $25 to join and the pot is at $950.00. Wow huh? Well my sister Anna, my mom and I have all joined. We just might become secret enemies for the next 2 months..ahhaha. But I'll give them back their $25 when I win, I mean why not reward them for their effort...ahahaha! I'm so excited to become slim. I'll save the becoming trim part for after the competition. All I'm thinking about is losing pounds and winning mula! Two days down, 60 more to go!! I got this yaayyyyeahhh.

B-day party/ Best of EFY

2010-05-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to write yesterday due to it being Serena's birthday party, and it sure was a party! She wanted a music party and that's what she had. At the same time as the party, I had the missionaries over for dinner. Hey why not kill two birds with one stone. So the missionaries were able to be fed and we along with our b-day guests were able to be spiritually fed. After the missionaries shared their message and were sent off with food for a week...lol, we started the music party. We played name that tune, had a lip syncing contest, played name that animal sound, and to top off the party had a talent show and then a dance. The girls had soooo much fun. I loved watching them sing, dance and just be the little girls they are. Serena invited 11 girls: Family consisted of Cia Sii, Ilaise, Jasmine, Ariana, Ebony and Nessa. Friends were: Sose (Mele), Amelia, Jared, Marleni, Kaylee who also brought Leticia. One thing I learned from this birthday party was that I should never mix friends with family. Some of Serena's friends were feeling left out and began to complain, which was soooo irritating. So lesson learned, never again, unless it's Sose...she was so sweet. All in all the party was simple and so fun!

Today I was able to attend the Best of EFY with my Young Woman up at the U of U institute building. It literally was 3 hours of pure spiritual joy! There were 3 speakers, Bro. Robley,who spoke about Mapping your way on the straight and narrow path, Sis Shupe, she spoke about Which way your tent is facing and Bro. Hilton who is the co-author of the book WHY. He spoke on Why? Principles behind the practices. Each one of these speakers were soooo good. The youth of today are so blessed to have such great leaders who care so much for them. My favorite saying taught was, "When you break the rules, the rules break you!" It's so simple yet so strong. I challenged my girls to bear their testimonies about what they learned and how it made them feel. I'm so grateful for my calling and love my Young Woman!

What are your thoughts about b-day parties?

Have you attended EFY?

What are some sayings that you love?

11 yrs today!

2010-04-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago today I had my first child Serena Angelaite Lealao. Her first name comes from Solomon's only sister, her middle name comes from my best friend Angela and my oldest niece who passed away at birth Atelaite. Their names were combined to make Angelaite. She was not supposed to have a middle name, because I don't have one, so I thought she should be like me. Well one night when I was about 8 months pregnant, I had a dream. And in that dream a birth certificate was floating in the air, but the room was dark and all I could see was the birth certificate. It eventually froze in place and all I could read was Serena Angelaite Lealao. The middle name was in bold. This dream reoccurred a couple of times through the night. I got up and grabbed a piece of paper and wrote the name down. I didn't understand at the time what I was writing, til I read it to myself and realized that it was a mix of my best friend and my niece. So there you have it, the story of Serena's name. I love all the woman that she is named after. They are strong, independent and they are all the oldest children of their families. Just like my Serena. I don't know my niece, but I feel that if she were here today, that is exactly what she'd be like. Hey, maybe her and Serena were best cousins in Heaven. Imagine that reunion!

Okay enough memories and tears. I want to name 11 wonderful traits about my daughter on her 11th wonderful birthday:

1. She's absolutely gorgeous.
2. She is my mini me. (can get annoying at times..lol)
3. She is a total nerd, from her schooling to her dancing! (it's totally hilarious)
4. She was sent here to humble me.
5. She is a mini mom to her siblings as well as her cousins. (ask them...lol)
6. She is very responsible.
7. She is such a girly girl, but isn't afraid to play sports. (she may not be the best, but she tries)
8. She is learning to become independent. (this scares me, because she's leaving my side)
9. She is very modest. (I'll take credit for that one..haha)
10. She is a very good student at school and at church.
11. She loves me unconditionally!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SERENA!! Mommy loves you.

Do you have any memorable dreams?
What do you love about Serena?
Where did your childrens names come from?

My Son.

2010-04-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a pretty busy day. But I wanna focus this post on my only son Junior. Right now he is in an AAU basketball tournament and he is playing flag football. I was dreading him turning 8 years old because I knew my husband would put him into football. He is my only son and I didn't want him in a contact sport. I don't want him to get hurt. I'm such a paranoid mom...hahaha. Well sad to say Junior is naturally talented in football. I've tried everything to get him to LOVE basketball, but he doesn't. He is talented in basketball also, but football is his sport.
Well yesterday he played his first game in flag football. He's never played it and he was so nervous because he didn't really know what to do. But his memory of tackle football came back to him by the second half and he ran the ball all the way down to the 5 yard line and he also made an interception for a touchdown!! Woowhoo that's my boy. I always say that Junior is silent but deadly. And he is. He lets his talent and skill speak for him, but he doesn't ever like to speak of it. I love this boy and I pray that he eventually grows to hate football...LOL j/k I love you Boo!!

Luisa Iongi

2010-04-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today me, Anna, Lyni and Mele drove out to our good friend Isa's house to celebrate her birthday by having lunch with her. We all live here in SLC and she lives out in the boonies, Tooele. I've known Isa for over 10 years. She is the only close friend I have who I didn't grow up with. That is a huge accomplishment for me because I do not trust easily, but when I met Isa after high school, I just knew we'd remain good friends. Isa is a woman of many talents. She is a great cook, house keeper, mother, friend, sister, wife and she's very creative, has held many high callings in our Church and is loved by all. She is one of those people who impact lives in a very positive way. Everyone wants to be around her and she knows everyone, seriously, Isa knows everyone..hahaha! While we were at her house having lunch, Mele was telling us about a time that she and Isa met up at rugby to have a lil picnic and talk. Well they couldn't even hold a conversation because either people kept coming up to Isa or she was wanting to say hi to them. Needless to say she is Miss Popular! It's funny because he husband is so not a social butterfly. He literally locks himself in the room when we come over or he leaves..ahahaha Like today he left to play golf when we got there..sad! Well who can blame him? He's in a house full of crazy woman with crazy kids...lol! Anyways, it was a great lunch date and I missed all the girls so much. We don't get together as often as I'd like, but when we do it's like we've never been apart. I'm so grateful to have Isa in my life as well as the rest of my very good friends. Love you Isa and Happy Birthday.

Journaling.

2010-04-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today our Young Woman president, Lashell Johnson taught us a lesson on keeping a journal. There was a quote from Kimball, I think, that said something along the lines of 'if you're not keeping a journal, repent and start today!' Wow huh? That instantly woke me up. I intended my blog to be my journal, but have slacked a lot. So now my goal is to write on my blog daily. Even if it's just talking about my day, I'll do that. I learned and have known that a journal is a history of my life and that I need to keep one for my future generation.

So today is my niece Cia Si'i's 13th birthday. She is officially a teenager. I can't believe how time has flown by. I remember the day she was born. We were all in Reno, Nv. for her special day. When they brought her in the room she didn't have a name yet. My sister Eta said that she wanted to name her after all her sisters. This was hard for her husband Peli's side of the family because Eta's oldest daughter Atelaite Kavapalu passed away soon after she was born. Peli's family wanted Cia to be named Atelaite. How ridiculous is that, to have two daughters with the same name, as if the first one was never born. Eta stood her ground and said no, my oldest child came to this earth and received her body. She was called back home because she had fulfilled her mission. My baby's name is Marcia AnnaLina Kavapalu. I am honored that she is named after me as well as my other sisters. She is absolutely beautiful, like me..lol! She is like me in some ways. She is shy, but bossy. Brave when she needs to be. Gains confidence when she is around her family. Loves to be Polynesian. Doesn't know her beauty. And has very beautiful hair. I love this girl so much. She is the oldest living grandchild and unfortunately has to deal with ALL of her aunties and uncles strict ways. We all feel that we raised her or were raised with her because Eta had her when she was only 18. She is a blessing in all our lives. I pray that she carries my name well or else..j/k and that she grows up to be a strong Latter Day Saint woman. I love you sis!! Happy 13th Birthday.

What are your thoughts on journaling?

Do you have a name sake?

What do you love about Sis?

TRIALS...

2010-04-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Why do we go through trials? Can't life just be free from problems? NO

This past week has been really tough for me. My toilet leaked downstairs to my other bathroom, my furnace stopped working and the alternator in our van went out. We were told that our toilet isn't covered by our insurance and neither are pipes. So what are we paying for??? Insurance is such a rip off. So Solomon had to DIY our furnace and toilet this week, so that we great. But last night our toilet started leaking again. OMG what a nightmare!! On the bright side of things, the Lord answered my prayers and blessed us with someone who fixed our van for free! My cousin called me to remind me of something and we just started talking. I told her about all the drama with our house and van. He husband had changed an alternator in a van like ours before and offered to come and help Solomon change ours. He basically did it alone. Solomon was there to pass him the tools, lol! So 2 problems down and 1 to go. One major problem! I just keep saying to myself, "this too shall pass." This is when I miss renting...lol.

What do you think about trials?

How is your insurance?

What gets you through your hard times?

Gabby in nursery.

2010-04-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

My baby Gabby is finally 18 months. I say finally because with my husband being a high councilman, me as the YW councelor and my kids all in primary, no one is able to watch my Gabby. So now that she is 18 months, she is allowed to go to nursery. I prepped her all morning and even taught her to nod yes when I said, "mommy's going byebye." But I should know, all the learning goes out the window once you're in the situation...hahaha Gabby did good when I took her into nursery. Primary music was playing, all the toys were out, the teachers were very welcoming and Gabby went straight to they toys and started playing. I walked out with no problem. But as soon as another child, which was the bishops son, walked in and started screaming his head off, all that changed. Gabby started screaming her head off, nose running, dramatically tossing her head back, and calling my name, they brought her to me. She instantly covered her eyes like a drama queen and acted like it was the teachers fault. She is so Serena...hahaha I took her back because I didn't want her to think that nursery was a bad place. I sat in there with her and as soon as she was comfortable with the other kids, I got up to walk out. I don't know what it is, but kids have a "mommy radar" on them. She knew as soon as I turned the knob that I was at the door. She started her screaming again. So I had her walk to me so that we could both leave. I had to go to my class. She walked towards me with her mean mug face, took my hand and turned towards all the other kids, pointed her finger at them and yelled something baby talkish to them. The teachers all laughed as did I. Lets just say it was a memorable experience, and we'll try again next week.

How were your children's first day of nursery?

Discipline.

2010-04-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

I learned something so simple yet very impacting. My husband and I have never agreed on how to discipline our children. I was relating this to a friend who is a very visual learner/teacher.

Discipline

(comes from the word)

Disciple

(which means)

Follower

(and who is the greatest example to follow, Christ)

Lead by example

Mirror that!

I hope that that makes sense. It is a very profound way to look at, not only with discipline, but with life itself.

Something to think about!

My nephew is too honest sometimes...lol!

2010-03-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Sunday my husband spoke at my sisters ward. So I went there to listen to him and then to help my sister Anna with her primary sharing time. The ward she goes to was my first family ward as a married woman, so I have so much love for this ward. Well one of the primary teachers, Ofa, had to attend a baby blessing, so my sister volunteered me to teach her class (isn't that the best way to welcome your visitors and to make sure they never visit again...lol) Anyways, I was happy to find out that I had the privilege to teach the 4 and 5 yr olds. Which included my daughter Ebony and my much too honest nephew K.J.

So I had about 10 mins to read through my lesson before class. We went to class and I held up this picture of baptism. I said to my class, while holding up my picture, " what is this a picture of." K.J. enthusiastically yelled out, "The dad is gonna hit his son!" I started laughing so hard. I said, "K.J. does daddy do this to you?" And his honest reply, "yes, he always does this to me." And he showed me how his dad, just like the picture, puts his hand in the air and threatens to hit him. It was so funny!

The moral of my story is be careful what you say and do to your children, they will put you on blast! LOL
Love my nephew.

What funny/honest things have your kids said or have you heard?

WHY?

2010-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

The co-author of the book "why?" was our guest speaker tonight during our Young Women's New Beginnings. He is an excellent speaker. He spoke right at our Young Women's level. He has been a seminary teacher for the past 12 years, so he knows exactly what he is talking about. He based his talk around his book why? and talked mainly about modesty and dating. I loved all his analogies. He said that youth never ask the what question, but they always ask the why question.
Why shouldn't I steady date in high school? Brother Sweat used the concept of drinking orange juice first and then rinsing your mouth out with Listerine. He asked what would happen if you rinsed your mouth out with Listerine first and then drank the orange juice? We answered it would be nasty and sour. He said isn't it interesting that the contents are exactly the same, all that's changed is the order! Just as steady dating in high school. If we DO NOT steady date in high school our life would be so much better. But if we do steady date in high school first we could end up in a nasty and sour relationship!
Isn't that such a cool analogy. All the while he had scripture references and graphs to back all his facts up.
Why should I dress modestly? He then gave an analogy on modesty. He based it on piranha's. He told a story of fishing for piranha's on his mission. All he was told to do was put some meat on a hook and toss the line over the boat. Within seconds the piranhas attacked his meat. Later on in his life he took his young men out fishing for rainbow trout. They had to hook their power bait, cast the line and wait for a while before there was even a little nudge. He compared this to modesty. "If a young woman is constantly revealing her skin, who will she attract? She will attract "piranha" boys who are primarily interested in her flesh. On the other hand, if a young woman casts out righteousness, intelligence, spirituality, humor and confidence (the power bait) this is exactly who she will attract: young men who appreciate righteousness, intelligence, spiritually , humor and confidence."
So true huh? If you ever have the honor of hearing Brother Sweat speak, don't pass it up. He is an excellent speaker and you will not regret it. Especially if you have youth age children. Tonight was a beautiful night and I am thankful for the gospel that I have. And for the simple teachings that we are taught to live by. The way is prepared if we just follow. It's that simple. Chews to be why's!! (that was my handout with gum and candy)

He is bound!

2010-03-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

"I am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say ye have no promise."

I don't know if those are the exact words, but I do know that it was a scripture mastery when I was in school. I have been a witness of this promise from the Lord these past couple weeks. Things have just come into my life very unexpectantly but at a time when it was very much needed. We as a family have been scripture reading and started due to a challenge given to us by our Stake presidency. So since January we have been reading and studying the scriptures. We don't read every single day, but we read as much as we can. Our Stake president promised us blessings if we would follow through with this challenge, and believe me we have been blessed so much. The first blessing I've felt was that we could only afford to put my oldest daughter in polynesian dance, I really wanted my other girls to dance, but when you have no mula, sorry. So last week I took all of my girls to watch my oldest, and the owner said to me, "why aren't your other girls dancing?" I told him because I couldn't afford it. He said, "don't worry about it, bring them next week with thier lavalava's." I was so happy. Then my brake, ABS and battery lights all came on at the same time. My car has been making a really bad noise for a while now, but no mechanic can find the problem. So my sister and I were shopping at Walmart and I was telling her my car problems, and this guy who is a mechanic, overheard me and told me to bring my car and he'd check it out for half the price of most mechanics. I took it the next day and sure enough he couldn't find anything either when he checked the diagnotics. But he took it a step further, he manually checked my van, and too our surprise the suspension was broke and was very very dangerous to drive. Needless to say, I fixed it immediately for half the price. And then on late Saturday night I realized I was running low on diapers. So I thought, I'll just ask my sister for a couple of diapers til Monday, because I didn't want to shop on Sunday. After church on Sunday a friend of mine who has grand children stopped me and asked me if I could use a pack of diapers that she no longer needs. I could've cried. Another blessing! I am so grateful to the Lord for all that he has given me.

I have been struggling with life these past couple months and the Lord has given me the strength to endure the pain and has surrounded me with people who love and support me. I know that if I continue to put my trust in Him that He will bless me with the joy that I have been striving for. I am thankful everyday for the life I have and the blessings I recieve.

What blessings have you recieved?

Carnival ideas.

2010-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

I have been put in charge of our Young Women's fundraiser this year. We are going to be doing a carnival on June 5th from 9am-2pm. Along with our carnival we will be having breakfast from 9am to 11am. So since the day I was officially put in charge of this activity I've been super excited and nervous. This is a huge responsibility because this fundraiser needs to raise enough money to take 30 girls to girls camp. We have the largest group of Young Woman in our stake and it is very overwhelming at times. So you understand why I'm nervous? 30 YW are counting on me to get things put together so that this fundraiser will be a hit!
We come from a financially difficult area. Money definitely does not grow on trees here, so I'm looking for donations. I want to teach our YW that hard work pays off and if we work hard to put on a good fundraiser, we can definitely get them ALL to girls camp!
I am looking for creative carnival games that can be built with little or no money. We've found a couple of games and ideas, but the building of them is what is stopping us from moving forward. I've also found a DJ who will be playing music for us throughout the day. We've found a guy who has a fire engine that he will take the kids on for rides. We found a guy who will donate a large moonwalk bouncer and the woman in our ward are willing to donate bake goods for our concessions stand.
We will also have a raffle. We've found a couple of people who are willing to donate to our raffle, things like a free hair cut, free customized t-shirt and goodie bags. I'm reaching out to the blogging world to see if any of you can donate anything to our raffle or give me ideas on how to promote our carnival, give me ideas on prices I should charge or how to build our booths. If you know of anything or have any great ideas please let me know. Thank you!!
Wish me luck!

Zumba!!

2010-01-15T11:42:00.001-08:00

Last week my sister Anna introduced me into the wonderful world of Zumba. It seriously is my new found love. The music, combined with the booty poppin/salsa moves, taught by a "bomb" instructor and the friendly woman in our class, equals FUN!! This is the kind of work out that makes you want to come back. I've heard about it from a lot of people and since I'm not a dancer, never wanted to try it out. But I finally caved in and went for it. I absolutely love it!! Did I say that already? hahaha It doesn't matter if you have two left feet, big/small, or are as stiff as a nail, ANYONE can do Zumba. You just have to enjoy music basically and just move your body any way you feel. The instructor is there to guide you, but if you can't keep up or get lost, just keep moving. It has been an awesome workout for me and my sister and family to go to. I'm excited for the change that will come to my body as I continue taking these classes. My goal is to be as fit as my instructor...hahaha hey it might take me 5 years, but at least I'm striving for it!! Thanks Anna for introducing me to my new found

LOVE Zumba!!!

Happy Birthday Deary!!

2010-01-09T19:48:00.001-08:00

SOLOMON LEALAO

S-sweetest gift giver

O-only lover of my life

L-loves to love me

O-overly protective

M-muscular hottie

O-oakland Raiders die hard fan

N-neat freak

L-laid back Hawaiian

E-enjoys sports

A-awesome dad

L-laborer

A-always wants the best for his family

O-optimistic

Happy 31st Birthday dear, I love you!!!

2009 come and gone!!

2009-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

This year has been such a whirlwind of a year. I had a lot a "firsts" and fell off the wagon a couple of times. The biggest thing in 2009 was my 3oth birthday, crazy huh! I couldn't believe that I was 3o and that I am almost 31...lol! Hey 3o is the new 20 right? At least I don't look it....hahaha!

I have so many memories and good times that

I am thankful for and having lived for 30 years is one of them.

I am grateful for my wonderful husband and children.

I am blessed to come from a wonderful family with parents still married for time and all eternity and siblings who love unconditionally.

I am thankful for my first big calling as the Young Woman counselor, it has blessed me beyond words.

I am surrounded with smiling faces from the time I wake up til I fall asleep. (My children)

I love the Lord and am grateful for those in my family who have taken steps to become closer to Him.

This coming year, I want to reinvent myself physically and spiritually. I want to become a woman of service and charity. I want to learn about, study and know my children individually. I need to be a better organizer of time.

I pray that we all live another year surrounded with those we love and with only those who lift our spirits!!

Goodbye 2009!! 2010 Here I come!

Education.

2009-12-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

I got an A in both of my classes this past semester, wooooowhooo!!! I've been in college off and on for the past 10 years, seriously! Both Sol and I have been and have decided that we really need to get serious with our education and finish ASAP. We take turns going to school, but starting January, he'll be full time and I'll support him wholeheartedly til he's done at the U and then it's my turn. Okay, this semester was the toughest one yet for me. I had English and Communication. I thought if I took these classes, they would go hand in hand and it would be easy for me. Nope, I was wrong. I did have to write ALOT of papers, but they didn't even go with each other. This made it very stressful. Writing 2 sometimes 3 papers a week was madness. Both classes were taken online, which made it convenient for me, but hard at the same time. I felt sorry for my family, because I neglected them during this time. I had to learn to prioritize my time with them and to teach them that mommy has school too. I have always loved English and wanted to major in it, but I don't know if I have the passion to write anymore. Life changes and we change along with it, sometimes you remain the same, but most often you learn and grow into new things. I really don't know what I'd like to do, but what I do know, is that I want to graduate from BYU with a degree. This has been my dream since I was a little skinny girl..lol and it still is. But I wanted it to be from BYU Hawaii, and since I know that isn't going to happen, I'll settle for BYU Utah...lol I enjoy learning and pray that my kids will follow me and their fathers example. GOOOOO Me! I'm my #1 cheerleader.

Juniors honesty..lol

2009-12-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

So a couple of weeks ago we were scheduled to feed the missionaries. My son's basketball practice was changed to that same night, so I had to find someone with the priesthood to come take my husbands place. The first person I thought of was my dad cause he only lives around the corner. So as my son Junior is setting the table, Jasmine is sweeping the floor, I tell Serena to call grandpa and ask if he'll come over. My son Junior who is setting the table casuallly says, "and mom make sure to tell him to brush his teeth." And he just kept doing what he was doing, all serious and focused. I started laughing hysterically and said, "Junior why would you say that?" He again still focused and serious said, "because when he picks us up for school in the morning, sometimes he doesn't have to time to brush his teeth." I couldn't even control my laughter at this point. I had tears streaming down my face. Junior looks up and says, "mom it's not funny it's sad." I still crack up thinking about that story. If you know my dad, don't laugh..lol j/k Kids are so funny sometimes!

Pictures w/ Kayleen

2009-12-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

On the first of this month, we had an appointment with Kayleen to take our family pictures. The last time we took pictures as a family was when we had only our 2 oldest. Three kids and 8 years later we decided to take the opportunity given to us to take them again. My sis Anna was scheduled and rescheduled with her in laws about 5 times, and finally gave up on it and asked me to take the appt. I was so excited because it was such a good deal. Kayleens work is beautiful and I couldn't imagine what or where she would have us go. Kayleen had us meet her at This Is the Place park and we drove about 5 minutes up the canyon to take our first set of pictures. So my sis Anna, her family and mine all got out at and parked on the side of the road. Kayleen had us walk through this beautiful field of waist high golden grass. I knew right then that these pictures were gonna be beautiful.

Let me just tell you that it was 3pm and freezing. My daughter Ebony was whining about the cold and I said, "Beauty knows no pain." LOL (That's a saying Isa would always say to us when we were single and thought we were so cute in our outfits with no coats)hahaha Anyways, we spent about an hour in the field and then went back to the park and spent another hour there. The sneak peek she sent us were ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! I'm so grateful that we took the opportunity to work with Kayleen and I would recommend her to everyone.

I told my husband that all I want for my birthday is all the pictures she took of us..lol. We'll see....

Solomons speech.

2009-11-05T17:56:00.001-08:00

Today Solomon had to give a speech at a Scholarship Business Luncheon up at the University of Utah. He was accepted into the Business program up there about 3 months ago and was asked by Rich Kaufusi to represent the scholarship recipients by giving a speech. So being the man that he is, he didn’t write it til last week. He was super nervous and read, re-read and re-read his speech about 100 times a day leading up to today. Rich helped him out so much by adding things into his speech and practicing with him for the past 4 nights. He didn’t have to, but he went the extra mile to help Solomon out.

So today finally came. We arrived 20 mins early and were given name tags. Solomons was all special and magnetic, while mine said “Solomon’s wife.” lol I got a blank one and wrote my wonderful name on it..hahaha! Anyways, we headed up to the 4th floor suite at the stadium. I’ve never been up there or even knew they had suites( that's how much I know about football) sad. Well we found our table #22 ( my fav number) and it was right in the front next to the podium. This made Solomon even more nervous. I took so many pictures and that didn’t help Sol either. So we sat at our beautiful table, mingled with other students and with Solomons donor. His name is Rick and he is the president of CIT banking. He was such a kick back kind of guy. He instantly calmed Solomon down and just made him feel at ease. We ate our delicious lunch and then Solomon was called up to give his speech.

I just have to say he did WONDERFUL! He has such a commanding presence and tone about him that everyone was instantly attentive when he spoke. It seemed as if he was a natural and that he had done something like that before. I seriously almost cried because I was so proud of him. People stood and applauded him when he was done. I couldn't even stand because I was so emotional. I can say that I saw my husband spiritually/ emotionally grow before my eyes today. It was a breath taking experience.

We have taken steps that should not be taken for granted and are very very grateful to those who helped us get there and who continue to walk with us. In the words of my husbands speech, “ we MUST balance optimism and realism, intuition and planning FAITH and FACT.” Alooooohha

LEALAO'S

My first Thanksgiving!

2009-11-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

This year I will be celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time without my WHOLE familia. So I was searching the Internet to see what traditions I could start with my children and what ways we could show thanks. Thanksgiving is often looked past, but I want to make it a staple to do something special besides eat with our family, which in my eyes is special enough. But my daughter Serena is very adamant about us celebrating Thanksgiving with thanks. She gets offended when we walk in a store to see that the decorations have gone from Halloween straight to Christmas. So heres to our first Thanksgiving. Check out this article I got from the parents magazine it has some good ideas of Thanks!!

Thanksgiving is always a meaningful holiday, but this year, families seem especially eager to celebrate life's blessings. "People are looking for ways to acknowledge what's good in their lives," says Jane Hammerslough, author of the new book Dematerializing (Perseus Publishing). To help children make the most of Thanksgiving, plan activities that can become part of your family's traditions.

Many families take a moment on Thanksgiving Day to let each person say aloud what he or she is thankful for. Hammerslough recommends expanding this practice to name one small thing every day that brings you joy: pretty weather, a delicious dinner, a conversation with a friend. "When you make a point of talking about little things that you're grateful for, those things seem to multiply," she says. "It's all about setting a positive tone for your kids."
Use your "gratitude list" as a springboard to help others. "If your kids say they're thankful for good food, figure out a way to share a meal with someone less fortunate," suggests Hammerslough. If time with family tops your list, reach out to someone in your community whose family lives far away. Kids often say they're thankful for toys, so let them help you put together a basket of unused or nearly new playthings for a holiday toy drive. "Sharing with others helps kids connect to the concept of gratitude in a meaningful way," Hammerslough notes.
Plan projects that reinforce the importance of family. Kids can create and fill in a family tree poster to display on Thanksgiving, or make collages from duplicate family photos. Grandparents will be delighted to receive a watercolor painting of the family created by a grandchild or a Thanksgiving card adorned with a child's hand print.
Remember when, as a kid, you traced the outline of your hand on brown construction paper, cut it out, and drew a turkey's face on the thumb?Children still delight in simple Thanksgiving crafts, including making pinecone placecards, cardboard napkin rings, and Pilgrim hats cut from black construction paper. Be sure to photograph these creations for the family scrapbook.
Collect favorite recipes that can become part of your family's traditional holiday meals. The November issue of Child includes healthy,appealing side dishes that kids can help to make. Little ones can start the day by mixing pumpkin raisin muffins and fill pie crusts with apple- or pecan-pie mixture to top off the meal.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-11-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays. I Christmas shop all year long and stash it all over my house. I become obsessed with QVC (ask my family, I'm constantly watching it) because I can shop through all the people who shop with them and I want to be there, sad I know. I put my tree up the first week of November. If today wasn't Sunday, it probably would be up already. My husband loves the holidays too, but he is a typical man and shops Christmas Eve. He loves the rush of things and the holiday feeling out in the stores. I on the other hand want everything done with by December, so that I can go out to all the sights, such as the Temple lights, a sing along, sledding, and just spending time with my kids and family. I like to plan Christmas months in advance and I know my family is sooo not thinking about it, but I don't care, I am...LOL!
The spirit of love and joy during the holidays is what I wish I could feel in the world year round. Maybe that's why I "act" like it's Christmas year round, because I want to feel that special feeling. We have a tradition that we do as a family every Christmas. My kids have a piggy bank that they put any money they find in all year long. In December we take them to pick a child off the Giving Tree and buy them a gift. We've done this for 3 years now. It's a humbling feeling to see my kids want to give to someone in need. They really think long and hard as to what to get "their" child. We're seriously at the store for over an hour just picking a gift. It's a fun tradition.
What are some of your traditions? Or what do you think is a good one for me to start with my family?

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

I love love love this time of the year. Even though I never dress up, I always encourage my children to and I take them where ever the fun is happening this weekend. Last night we went to the freakiest backyard haunted house. Seriously it topped any other haunted house I've ever been to. They had all the creepy characters, and bloody Mary was the winner. For reals she played her part so good. My kids hated it, except for Jas. I think almost all of them were crying. My sister Anna, brother Bubs and I went with our kids and spouses. At least the adults enjoyed it...lol!
Well here's a Halloween song I remember from school. I taught my kids and they sing it every year.

Halloween, halloween,
Lots of fun on Halloween,
Black cats and ghost
Skeletons too
Witches, bats they all say..BOO!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Be safe and eat lots of chocolate!!

My Anniversary Gift!

2009-10-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that my husband and I didn't do anything special. Life is so busy with kids, work, school, and life in general. Unfortunate things happened this month that didn't allow us to celebrate financially. We decided that we'd celebrate later. Well on the morning of our anniversary I checked my email, because that is how we communicate now since I've been phone-less and this is what I received...

My Love,

I am Magically in love with you...

You are Adorable...

You are Radiantly beautiful...

I am Crazy about you...

You are Irresistible...

You will Always be SEXY...

Marcia, I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART...

Solomon Lealao

He would so kill me if he knew I posted this, but isn't he so cute. I am a sucker for poems and love letters. This was the best gift ever. I love my husband!!

Technology?

2009-10-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

How come every time I need to upload pictures, something wrong always happens. Okay about a month ago I was at my cousins baby shower. I was the only one who had a camera there, so I took all the pictures. The day I was going to upload them onto my computer, my nephew knocked my camera out of my hands and broke it. I still have the SD card, which is good, so at least I can save those pictures to a CD. Well yesterday my husband asked to use my phone because his was charging. I let him use it while he went on a couple of errands. And what happens, he loses it. Can you believe that? I was using my phone as my temporary camera. I had pictures of my daughters birthday party, memorable stuff like that. I know its partly my fault. I should always have a back up. But too late now. I have no phone, no camera, no back up. What to do , what to do?
Just needed to vent!! UGghhhhh

Gabby!!

2009-10-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Gabs turns 1 today. I cannot believe that my baby is one already!! She is so beautiful and the joy of our lives. She loves to eat, especially from her bottle, which is gonna disappear at the end of this month. She screams when she wants something. She absolutely adores her siblings. It's so cute, because whenever they come home from school, she covers her face with her hand and say "ow" and they come to her rescue. She so know how to get her way with everyone, especially Serena. Serena adores her and they sleep together every other night. Gabby's favorite though is Eby, but don't tell the other kids that. Ebony makes Gabby laugh like no one else can. She is literally rolling with laughter whenever Ebony plays with her. It's too cute.
Gabriella started walking at 11 months. She has always had beautiful curly hair and big brown eyes. She is such a doll. She loves me unconditionally and I pray that never changes. When she sleeps with me, she has to hold my neck and our noses have to be touching. Precious, I know. I call her "feti" because she is..LOL and it's funny because she responds to it when I call her. Okay and wrong too..hahaha But Gabriella is named after my older sister Eta. I didn't like her Tongan name, so I gave her the English version of Sulieta, which is Juliet. So her name is Gabriella Juliet Lealao. I love this girl and so does everyone else, especially T.J., my brothers son. He adores her so much, that she has gotten sick of it...LOL! No one likes that Gabby is growing up.
Happy 1st Birthday Gabby. Mommy loves you!!

My Ebony!

2009-10-07T10:41:00.001-07:00

Today is my Ebony’s birthday. She is 5 years old. I have always called her “my Eby,” I don’t know why, but I just have. She has such a great imagination. I love this about her. No matter where she is or what she is doing, there’s always some kind of character to it. My brother Kel nicknamed her Dorbony, because last year she was obsessed with Dora. LOL Now my sis Anna, has nicknamed her Carrie, because she said she is so evil..LOL! Ebony has learned to roll her eyes, and did it to Anna first..hahaha It was hilarious. Now she uses it on her all the time. They have a love hate relationship…but its all fun. She has imaginary friends that she feeds at the dinner table and talks to everyday. She tells me her dreams or nightmares in detail everyday. She is one special girl.

Ebony is beautiful. She is my lil white girl, but out of all my kids, she is the most polynesian. Her favorite food is bologna and string cheese. She loves to sing and dance. Her new favorite person is Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. She is such a cute big sister to Gabriella. She is always willing to help me with whatever I need. She tells me I’m skinny…LOL and then on my fat days, she tells me I’m “a little bit fat.” hahhaha I love this girl and all of her imaginary friends she presents to me everyday. Happy 5th Birthday my Ebony! Mommy loves you!

Mr. Fix It.

2009-10-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

My husband has had a very hard week this week. He got in trouble at work, both of our toilets were running constantly which cost us an extra $120 on our water bill, and a part on our dryer broke. He turned his anger toward fixing the problems, instead of being like me and praying that they just go away..hahaha
Well we scheduled to have 2 plumbers come out and give us estimates on our toilets. I also looked on the DIY website and found steps on how to do it ourselves, but we wanted to see if that was the problem. Well the first company Rotorooter (I think) gave us an estimate of $210. But he was very honest and told us that we could fix it ourselves if we knew how to work a wrench. Right there, a challenge and a gift went out to my husband. I could see in his face that he was thinking "yeah I can work a wrench, but I don't have one." Good excuse huh...LOL! Then the next company came Neerings and gave us an outrageous estimate of $380. He said that he needed to fix some "extra" things in one of the toilets....yeah right!
So my Mr. Fix it husband went to Home Depot purchased the parts and 2 wrenches for $40. He had both toilets done and working properly within 30 mins. Crazy huh. Thank goodness for honest people in this world, who understand that we're all struggling. We saved ourselves over $200. I'm so proud of my hubby. I tried to take a picture of him while he was being Mr. Fix it, but he wouldn't let me in the bathroom...it was so cute though..LOL!!
So the moral of my blog is to ALWAYS try to DIY things before you waste your money!! Now onto project #2.

Marcia Fierce came out today!!

2009-09-12T18:42:00.001-07:00

First off, I want to congratulate my son on his 5 touchdowns!! He tore up that field today…GOOOOO JUNIOR!!

But unfortunately, I’ve officially banned myself from my sons football games. I seriously get waaaayyyy too crazy and involved when I’m there. Today was the worst it’s ever been. Lets just say that the coach and the president of the sucky stansbury league came up to me and we exchanged some words…lol!

I was so heated and angry with the cheating refs and an annoying snitch that I seriously wanted to cuss them all out! I held my tongue and cheered away. It didn’t help that we sat on the opposing side of the field, but hello, we were there first and I wasn’t going to pack up all our stuff and move.

Anyway, that was my wild morning. Lucky for the rest of the Ute league who are playing against my son, I won’t be there anymore!! LOL

My daughters are starting up their games on Saturday. Soccer and softball are more safe to cheer at for me and those around me. (I hope..ahhaha) Sorry to all who sat with me and especially sorry to your children. I’m just crazy with football, when I know someone who’s playing!! But hey, if you're crazy like me and have no shame, come cheer with me...LOL!

Okay, now I'm gonna go repent!

Audrey!

2009-09-11T21:40:00.001-07:00

I was blessed to have a play date with one of my childhood friends Audrey (Lose) today. We haven’t seen each other for years, so I was so excited when she called me out of the blue and invited me to her beautiful home. I knew before I went there that her children were both special needs children, but I didn’t know how demanding of a responsibility it was on her.

The night before we went. I talked to my children about special needs kids and asked them to be kind and quiet because I just didn’t know what to expect. My children have never been so good. They played well with Audrey’s daughter and were very respectful to her and her needs. I was so proud of them. And to have Audrey tell me that my kids were well behaved made my day.

As we got to talking, Audrey broke down and told me that her children have never said mom or mommy. Her kids are 6 and 3 and they both are autistic. I was sadden to hear her struggles as a mother. The word mom is something we expect our children to say early in their lives, because we are the ones constantly with them. And to hear her cry because her children cannot or have not said that word to her made me realize how much I take my “normal” children for granted.

I was very humbled and grateful for the time I spent with Audrey and her children today. She is such an inspiration to me. I asked her how she was doing and if she needed me to help out with anything. And she said, “you know autistic children are just like other children, they have their good days and their bad. I struggle just like you at times, it’s no different. There are just some other obstacles that I have to take that are different from yours. But really mothering is all the same.” I wanted to cry. Here I was wanting to help her, and instead she helped me.

I told her that the Lord sent her these beautiful innocent children because of her patience and love for them. She is such a beautiful woman. I’m honored to be her friend.

Mi Vida Loca!! LOL

2009-09-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's my life as of next week.

Monday-free day (FHE)
Tues. Jasmines soccer practice, Serena's softball practice and Juniors football practice
Weds. Serena's soccer practice, Juniors football practice and my mutual
Thurs. Serena's softball game and Juniors football practice
Friday - free day (get ready for a long Saturday)
Sat. all the kids have their games from 9am-2pm
Sunday-Relax kind of

But remember that I'm in school as well as my children, Solomon works two FULL-time jobs (crazy I know) and we both have big callings.

So how do I get this all organized? I'm thinking I need to make a big calender for my whole family to see and some kind of system going. But I just don't know where to start.
What I do know is that I need to take care of me first and foremost, or I will explode. Everyday that my kids have practice, my "plan" is to walk the big soccer field for the hour with my 2 youngest, just to get a lil extra physical activity in.

What's funny is that when my kids were younger and home all day, I would say, "I can't wait til they grow up and do something outside the home." And now I'm saying can't you all just sit at home with me. It's madness I tell you...madness!

I'm grateful for my children and their dedication to school and sports. I promised them that I would support them in every good thing they want to do, and that's what I'm gonna do. They are actually setting the example for me.

Craziness here I come for the next 2 months. Thank you Lord for winter... I'm gonna seriously hibernate and get fatter...LOL

All that for Nothing..lol

2009-09-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

In my post before this I was stressing about my lesson for my YW and guess how I did...I didn't even do it!! LOL I teach the Mia Maids and the Laurels and only 1 of my girls showed up on time, so therefore, we combined and the Beehive teacher just taught her lesson. Then a half hour later 5 of my girls showed up. I was disappointed because I worked so hard for this lesson, just to not present it. I told my girls that I was sad that they didn't show up on time because I was all prepared with a great lesson. They apologized and I just handed out my lil thought/treat. It was a Now and Later candy and I attached the saying, "What you do 'now' will affect what happens 'later'-make temple marriage your goal." At least I got to do that part of my lesson that literally made me sick to my stomach for 3 nights..LOL!!

A Challenging Reward!

2009-09-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

I was called as the 1st counselor of Young Womans last Sunday. It's funny because I knew I was gonna be called into the YW, but I didn't even think it would be 1st counselor. I thought for sure secretary, or maybe I was hoping, but in the end I was called. Anywayz, I have to teach a lesson on Sunday. I haven't taught a lesson in 5 years, and it was given to Primary children. I feel that I need to step it up and get into the swing of things with our youth. So I made myself a Facebook account, so that I could "stalk" them...LOL
My lesson is titled Group Activities: A Basis for Wise Dating. OMG, I've been married for almost 11 years and so much has changed since then. I kind of feel inadequate, but pray that the Lord gives me the strength to teach these YW what He wants me to teach them. This day and age is tough for our children and especially our youth. I want to be and instrument in the Lords hands in reaching my YW in their times of need. Pray for me that I will be able to!

Schools In!

2009-08-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

All of my children except for the baby (of course) are back in school as well as myself. We are extremely busy right now. My son is playing football, my daughters are both in soccer and maybe softball and my husband helps coach football and works 2 full time jobs. Life is CRAZY!!! Sometimes I wish there were 5 of me so that I can be everywhere at all times. I kind of understand polygamy in that way...LOL! No but seriously when my life slows down or whenever I get a minute to myself, I like to read and catch up on all your blogs. They keep me sane..hahahaha! Things change from day to day and we never can predict the outcome. Like yesterday, my daughter Jasmine, who is a tough girl on the outside, but very sensitive on the inside. Well she and a classmate got into an argument. This little jerk, I mean girl, called my daughter ugly and told her she looks like a boy because she plays sports and that her clothes are ugly. Well I told her that its not right for people to call names and that the little girl is jealous of her. And to make it worse, she came up to me an hour later and hid behind a pillow asking me if I thought she was ugly. So many emotions came over me, sadness, anger, pity. I said to her, "Jasmine you are very beautiful and don't let anyone tell you different. People only say hurtful things when they are jealous of you. I love you Jas and that's all that matters."
This is the part of parenting that I am not looking forward to. How do I protect my children and not get involved at the same time? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Good luck and keep writing, I need the sanity!!

Yay Me!!

2009-08-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to put myself up on my soapbox for a minute. Like I said in my previous post, this week was finals. I just finished last night and both my teachers emailed me my grade already.....drum roll please...lol I received an A in both of my classes!!! All that work really paid off. OK now off my soapbox. goodnight..lol

Finals...ugggghh

2009-08-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

I'm in school and this week is finals. I remember doing finals when I was younger and at Snow College. Back in the day I could hang with all nighters and still function the next day. But now that I'm grown and old, it's not working so much. LOL I want and need my education for me and my familia. Oh the sacrifices mothers make....are we crazy or just craaazzzyyy?? hahaha Wish me luck!

My 2 guys!!

2009-07-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

OK so my son just started football this year. I've seriously been dreading this time in his life because my husband was a football player and a very good one at that!! LOL I was afraid that he would put too much pressure on our son to be the best. But honestly, he has done the total opposite. If you know my husband, he hasn't had a really good relationship with our son. He wasn't raised with a father, so he didn't really know how to form that father/son bond. But football has made a huge change in their relationship. I LOVE it!! My son loves is too. He practices with his dad everyday and they "talk" football now. It's way cute. My husband is one of the coaches because he didn't want to leave my son alone. He's so worried that people will treat him wrong. He only wants him or I taking him to practice for the first month until he gets used to it. Isn't that sweet! haha
My son was put into the running back position, but doesn't know if he likes it yet. It's funny because he doesn't really know much about football except through video games, even though his dad is totally obsessed with it. Goes to show you how distant their relationship was huh!! Well I'm happy with the way their relationship is growing. I guess it just took something common between them to spark that bond. Go EAST!!!

My Jas!

2009-07-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

While out in Hawaii, we celebrated my daughter Jasmines birthday. I needed to give her a shout out since I wasn't able to out there. Jasmine is my dare devil daughter. She loves to try new things and tries her best at it. She "thinks" she can do anything better than her brother can. She won't back down to no one even if they're bigger and stronger than her. She will fight until that person either gives up or feels sorry for her. LOL I love this girl so much. She can work my nerves when she wants her way, such as trying to convince me to let her play football..NO..but she doesn't like that answer. Anywayz Jasmines birthday is the fouth of July, which is so fitting for her firecraker personality. We went to Hawaii early just to celebrate her special day with all her cousins. We camped on Waikiki Beach and had a huge bar-b-que. I swear I only seen Jas for about an hour the whole 2 days we were there. She lived in the water. She never wanted to come out. I made her come out once to eat and she ran right back in. It was funny because I told her to come back and put sunscreen on and she ignored me, so I told her, "don't cry to me when you're burnt tonight." And what did my know it all daughter do, cry all night that her shoulders were burnt. hahahaha It was a lesson well learned, because after that, every single time we swam and she came out, she reapplied her sunscreen on her own!! This is my daughter in a nutshell. For those who know her, wouldn't be surprised at what I wrote, because that is how Jas is. On the 4th her aunt bought her a $100 Hannah Montana cake and 2 huge boxes of fireworks. We watched the fireworks from the beach, it was beautiful!! The night went great and I think that was probably my favorite day of the whole trip. Love you Jas!!

Home SWEET Home!

2009-07-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

I am soooooo very grateful to be home. My familia and I were in Hawaii for 11 days. I know everyone is probably thinking, lucky for me...NOT! I usually have a good time, but this was just too long of a trip with in laws. I know I'm being selfish, because my hubby has to deal with mine all the time, but I'm just not used to it. I love them, but I love them enough to stay a way too...LOL. Don't get me wrong, I did have some good times out in paradise, but honestly the good does not outweigh the bad. I loved being with my kids and hubby when we were able to be alone, which was the last 2 days, but by then it was a lil too late. My kids and my hubby had a blast and didn't want to come home. They cried when we left, while I was secretly smiling inside. Its always bitter sweet when we leave Hawaii, but as my title says, it was only SWEET for me this time around! Aloha!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOO!!

2009-06-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Okay since I blogged about my daughter on her birthday I feel obligated to do it for my son as well. His name is Solomon Jr., but he goes by Junior. I call him Boo. I don't know why I started calling him that, but now he's stuck with it. Its funny because my nieces and nephews used to call him Boo when they were younger, and he didn't like it from them, he only wanted me to call him that. He is my only son and he is such a handful. I could take all 4 of my girls somewhere and have an easier time than if I took him alone. I think he feels like he always has to fight for attention because he's the only boy. No matter what the case, I love him. But yesterday I took him out of summer school early and took him shopping for his birthday. We went to Albertsons and he picked out a cute "football cake" and then we went and bought him some scriptures (something we get our kids when they turn 8) and then we went to Burlington to find him a suit. Okay now understand that I did this lil shopping thing with my girls and I thought Junior would like it. Well I was wrong. Boys are so not the shopper type. He was so tired by the time we got home. The whole time we were looking at clothes he said stop looking at the girls clothes, its not their birthday. It was so funny. Boys are so much easier to shop with. He just looked at one suit and tried it on and said okay lets go get shoes. Thats all he cared about. It was interesting to see the differences between my girls and my boy.

But at the end of the day Junior said to me, "mommy I like just spending time with you by myself. Can we do this once a week?" I was so touched. I realized all he wanted was to just be with me. He is such a sweetheart. He does things for me just out of the blue. Like when I'm working out, he brings me some water. Or if I fall asleep on the couch, he puts a blanket on me or tries to wake me up to go to my own bed cause he's worried that my back will hurt in the morning. He's such a cutie pie. He honestly is very good looking, which kind of worries me. LOL

I love my Boo and just wanted to wish him a very Happy 8th Birthday!!

My Crazy Life so far.....

2009-06-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Okay I finally have time to blog. And I found my USB to upload my pictures. So alot has happend obviously between April and now, so I'm gonna sum it up all in this one blog. First was Angela's shower. She is one of my bestest friends. We grew up together from the time we were babies. This baby is her first baby after about 5 years, so we planned to throw her a baby shower. One of her 5 that she recieved..lol. Well we all gathered at Isa's house. Of course cause she's the best host and she cooks the best food. I did the games and we all just sat around and ate. She recieved alot of good info from the rest of us mother and she got alot of good gifts. We love you Angela!!

Next was Tala and Kels talks at church in St. George. Tala wrote about it already but I just wanted to let you all know how strong the spirit was in that ward building that day. It was so strong almost all the grown men were crying. It was such a beautiful sacrament meeting and so worth the sucky flight to get there...lol! Tala spoke on Celestial Marriage and even though she hasn't been sealed to her family, you could tell and feel that she is ready. What a great example she is to all her know her. And Kel spoke on Come what may and Love it. OMG what a perfect subject for him. Their honesty and humility was so humbling. Even the stake president commented on how humbled he was by both of them. Good job Kel and Tala. I love you!

The day after we got back from St. George, we flew out to Reno for my niece Cia Si'i's 6th grade graduation. She has grown so much and is blossoming into a woman its scary. She's the first living grandchild in our family and so she hold a special place in our hearts. Well that and that she's named after me...hahaha okay she's named after all us sisters. Her full name is Marcia AnnaLina, cute huh! Anywayz, I bought her this beautiful, old Hollywood style dress, and she fit it like a glove. I'm so proud of her and all of her accomplishments. She should be a model because she's all legs and she's beautiful inside and out. I love you Sis!

Okay a day after that my kids had their last day of school. Every year we do the same thing. We make candy cards for their teachers. Its always so cute to hear what ideas they have for their cards. Usually the same line of "you're the best teacher in the whole 'milky way'' is always used. But the teachers love it. This is such a fun thing. I love it, the kids love it and most of all the teachers love and appreciate it! Okay I forgot my camera so Anna came with her camera phone, good thing and took the teacher pictures. Oh and Anna just had to leave her mark on my girls shirts. They had all their friends write on them and Anna wrote the funniest things on the back. They didn't like it and didn't think it was very funny, but it was....Thanks Anna..lol!

Now lastly I tried to throw my sister Anna a surprise baby shower. Her birthday is on June 5th so I told her that on June 6th we were throwing her a party, just us girls. But obviously she found out. It was the thought that counted though..lol! My friend Isa made and bought all the decorations, that my dad put up and didn't want to take down cause he was so proud of himself. My mom and Betty (Lames girlfriend) did the food. Klarah did the fun games. And I hosted. I just wanted to thank all those who helped. I couldn't have done this without you. And for all who attended, you were all fun guest to have. Thank you!

CONGRATULATIONS ANGELA!!

2009-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell one of my oldest and dearest friends congratulations on having her first baby. She had a boy yesterday. He is 7lbs. 1oz and 21inches long. She said that he has a lot of hair and he is so cute. I'm going up there to visit her today. I'm so happy for her, because she and her husband have been trying for 5 years to have a baby and now he's here. His name is unknown right now. She's calling him Wolfjack...lol til her and her husband can agree. I just wanted her to know that I love her. CONGRATULATIONS ANGELA!! I'll post pix's tonight!!

Crazy Girls!

2009-04-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

KJ blocking Serena from the cupcakes.

Some of her money...lol

Jaih and Serena after winning

Cute eggs the girls decorated.

Toss the egg!

Wow! Thats the only word I can use to describe my daughters birthday party today. She asked if she could invite 8 friends and I said yes. I only expected 2 maybe 4 girls to come because we live out of her school boundaries. NO they all came. I was surprised!! It was so cute to see them all interact outside of school. I secretly watched my daughter Serena with her friends. I wanted to see if she was different, and I'm proud to say that she is exactly the same at home as she is with her friends. Thank goodness! Her friends were telling me who my daughter liked and were teasing eachother about certain boys at school. It took me back to my "younger" years...lol I miss the innocence of youth!

The party was a success. She got cute and thoughtful gifts from her friends. One even got her a bag of hot cheetos. hahaha She loved it! My familia mainly gave her money, $89 to be exact, cause that's all she asked for. Anna (sister) got her a cute lil outfit for church. Serena's somewhat of a nerd, and I got her a box of rocks. All shapes, sizes and colors. It came with a book. She loves it. Her favorite gift came from her dad, well it was a tie with the $89 she recieved, an MP3 player. We uploaded songs after all the guests were gone. She thinks she's so cool now....lol!

Kids are so spoiled these days. I complain sometimes, but I can't help but to keep spoiling mine! Craziness I know, pure craziness!!

Sac Town...wedding!!

2009-04-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

The boys & Eby after the wedding.

Gabby and Serena

Anna, Me, Lame, Eta and Lina

All of us w/ the wedding couple.

Lexi, Lina, some girl, and Anna

Joseph & Melanie

Glen, Aunt Darleen, Mom and Dad

Mom, Dad, PJ, Lame, and Bubs

Marcos, Joseph, and Lame

Joseph right after the wedding!

Before we left to Cali, my week was crazy. I over scheduled myself with dentist appts., helping my husband with his finals and life itself. So on Friday morning I was totally exhausted. I was supposed to take the first flt. with the rest of my family, but I wasn't even packed and was too tired to get up. So I waited til the afternoon flt and flew with my girls all by myself. Luckily Lina, my sis, took my son the day before, so that helped me a ton.
Anywayz all was good, the flt., the car rental, the girls kind of, until I had to try and navigate through Cali and their traffic. OMG, I totally missed the exit I was supposed to take and ended up an hour away from my aunts house. Anna tried to help me but couldn't. A lady at a gas station wrote down directions that made me get more lost. So finally my aunt gave me simple directions and I found the place. Wow, I felt so sorry for my kids because I was taking out my frustration on them. lol It was crazy. But I apologized to them that night and asked for their forgiveness and they forgave me quickly...I wish I could be as innocent and forgiving as children sometimes! Hey I made it up to them when we went to the swap meet the next morning. I was surprised at all the things my kids got. It was so cheap. Serena got 10 things since she is turning 10 this Wednesday. Couple of the things she got were shoes, a purse, and a lot of jewelry. My son got a skateboard and my other two girls got a lot of hair things, purses, toys and more. I only spent $60 there, which was wayyyy good for me, seriously!!
Hmmmm.. well the time spent with my moms side of the familia was good. My aunt Darleen was so excited to have us all there. She put us up in her rental house and "allowed" our kids to go a lil crazy in her beautiful house, game room, and all. Her husband Glen and their son Glen Jr (who was crushin on lina.lol) were also very kind to us.
I think it was shocking to them to have so many people in their home. And kids at that. The youngest child their is 13 and there has only been she. We came with my 5 kids and Bubs (brother) 2 kids., and Eta (sister) had her 3 too. So all the kids at one time was a lil bit of a shocker to them. I should have taken a pic of their faces, when they seen all the kids. hahaa
My moms side is Catholic. We went to my cousins wedding held at a Catholic church and it was all so new and interesting for me. I was curious as to why they did certain things, but I never got to ask anyone cause we were all there for only one thing and that was the wedding.
The reception was just hilarious. Alcohol was flowing freely in the building and I swear my sis Lina and my dad looked and danced more drunk than anyone there. I know people thought they were a lil tipsy, but nope, thats just "how they do." lol Thats a saying that my sister lina's dancing buddy kept saying...inside joke..lol!
All in all this trip was a fun trip. I loved the Sacramento weather and I miss it. I loved being with my family and finally seeing my moms side after sooooo many years. I hope we see eachother more. We were raised apart, but it feels like an undivided family when we're together. Loved it!!!

My Daughter

2009-04-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking tonight as I was watching my oldest daughter Serena, what did I do to deserve her? She is such a big helper to me. I often call her mini mom. I also call her 'ears' because she is at that age where she doesn't know if she's a child or a teen. I always tell her to go play with children because she wants to be with adults ALL the time. This worries me, not because she is nosey, lol, but because she is growing up. Serena will be turning 10 years old soon. I can't believe I have a 10 year old! She is beautiful and sweet. I love her and want her to remain a child forever. The world is a harsh place and she is too innocent to be living in such a place. I'm very over protective and worry way too much about most everything. This can hinder me or help me in being a mother. But I pray that my daughter will choose the right in all she does and says. The Lord sent her to me first because she is special. She asked me once, "why did Jesus put me as the oldest, I have to do everything?" (which she does) I said, "Serena, you have a special calling as the oldest child. Jesus sent you to help me and daddy. He knows that you have more love for this family than any of the other kids and He wants and needs you to show us all the example of unconditional love." She smiled and shyly said, "so I am special." I said in wonder, "why would you doubt that of course you are, never ever forget that Serena." She said, "ok, thanks mommy for telling me that."I remind her whenever I can that she is special and that her father and I love her. Again as I sit here and write, I'm in awe at the blessing she is in my life. Even with all the stess she gives me sometimes, the blessings greatly outweigh it all. She is a daughter of Heavenly Father who loves me and I love him for sending her to me. I love you Serena....Happy Birthday soon!

Birthday dinner...lol

2009-04-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, me, Anna, Isa, Mele, and Lyni went out to Chuck a Rama for Isa's birthday dinner. I don't know if Isa would like me to write her age, but lets just say she's OLD...lol!! Well not yet! But anyways, the birthday girl arrives fashionably late as usual..hahaha We didn't want to eat until she got there and the restaurant was pretty empty, so we just kicked it and talked. Isa arrived and we ate and talked some more. Then more people arrived and our conversations got a lil loud so as to hear eachother. Someone, I'm not gonna name names, started talking about a subject that most people keep hush hush. But no, she was so loud, and drew attention to our table. Lyni said to her , "can you be quiet." And then put her head down. It was so funny. I know you're wondering what it was, but I'll have to tell you face to face...lol. This night was a 'had to be there night'. Even if I told you what was said, it wouldn't be as funny. I just wanted let you all know that I love my girls, even the ones who couldn't make it. I could only imagine what our conversations would have been if we were all there....LOL Love you all!!

Kids say the darndest things..hahahaha

2009-04-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Since March 30th, my kids have been on Spring Break. Yes 2 whole weeks of what the freak do I do with them...lol No but I usually have something planned, and I did, but my baby Gabby changed all that when she got sick again. She was in the hospital about 3 weeks ago with RSV, and has now gotten sick with a cold. I'm not going to take the chance of her getting that sick again, so my older kids have been stuck in the house for 2 days now.
So now that plans have changed a bit, tonight we had a game night. We played games for 5 hours straight. First we played BINGO and whoever won got choc. chips. Next we played Scrabble Junior to help my Jas with her spelling and last and most fun of all we played Taboo. In the game of Taboo, you have to describe to your team a word, without using certain words. Well I was describing to my son a word. I said to him, "this is what mommy and daddy are to you." And he said, "mean." The word I was trying to describe was parents. I couldn't stop laughing, I'm still laughing while writing this. If you know my favorite and only son, you'd understand why he said this. Another hilarious moment was when I was giving clues to my daughter Jasmine. I said "this is what Eby always has at night." And she said, "pee pee undies." The word was dreams. OMG, I was rolling. I couldn't control myself anymore.
This was a great way to end our night. Filled with laughter and joy. I love my children very much and love when they say the darndest things!