Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Convo at the end of a great night:

After a fun night at the Dickens Festival and dinner with all the cousins, we got home and got ready for bed.

Owen was getting out of his clothes and said,
"I widdy miss my daddy. Do you?"

Me~"Yes, I miss him a lot."

O is thinking... thinking....

O~"I widdy miss Jesus Trist (Christ), too."

Nifae~"I don't cause I have a picture of him in my room."

O~ "Oh, Yeah!"


This kinda stuff melts my heart. I remember Nifae telling me that a few years ago. It's so sweet.
I wonder if when they are really really young they feel so close to him and as they grow they come more aware that it takes more effort to be close to Christ.
Could be reading more into it but I am happy that Christ is a real person in their life along with their daddy!
Couldn't ask for more!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Thinking about moving to Tonga

I've worked out about 1% of the details.

Tommy brought home some brochures that got me thinking and dreaming of what my dream home would be there.
or check out this short video:
http://www.globalportablebuildings.com/media/EyeOnTheBay.html


Never really pictured myself as a "trailer park" kinda girl but i believe I am a "bloom where your planted" kinda girl.
I really don't think I could handle the reality of LIVING there but could handle it for like a month or two and then take it from there. Maybe a year or two... like a missionary that can call home whenever they want.

Things I have thought about:
I know they have Facebook there because I am able to chat with Tommy's cousin Kalo who lives there.
Pretty sure they don't have a Target and that would be pretty extreme for me.
where to live,
where to work,
where to school my children,
where to get all the cold hard cash to make a move like this.
WHEN would be go? next year, in two years, in five????

I hear lots of stories from people that visit or lived there. Sounds like a third world county and pretty rough but everyone that told me the stories has survived it. They are not dead. They actually have a lot of beautiful stories to offset the crazy ones. hmmmmm... I feel like I need to find out for myself. I've never been that kinda girl either~ the one that needs to do it to learn it. But for this,... it just fits.

Ideas that get me excited are:
down sizing,
living within my means,
"needing" less,
learning the other part of my "culture"
teaching my kids the other part of their culture
giving my kids a unique character building experience,
Seeing my husband where a tupenu (sp?) all the time,
trying something new,
learning something new,
unplugging from all my electronic dependencies,
finding out why my dad cries when he watched a beautiful taulunga (sp?) or while listening to someone speak his first language.
Seeing where he grew up, the land that shaped him,
praying about it, which would make it somewhat of a Real dream/hope...dare I say... goal.

Things that do not get me excited are:
bugs,
third world living,
leaving my neighborhood with all the convenient shopping,
leaving good paying jobs for the unknown,
having to learn to psychically work hard- i'm an office kinda girl,
being REALLY far away from my family,
having cultural clashes,
depending on my husband to communicate to others,
learning a different language,
postponing my dream of owning a real home
extreme change can be hard on a marriage~ it could be a good thing or a bad thing,
possibly falling in love with yet another place that is far far away from a place I REALLY LOVE,
leaving all my craft stuff,
wondering what the shipping might be on Etsy.com or Roberts.com or Shopsei.com,
did I mention that I really hate bugs and the ones that bit~ I have really Palangi skin so i get eaten alive,
the long flight over there with 3 kids.
actually praying about something like this

Ever had a dream, a thought, a whim like this?

I did once. I thought about moving to Hawaii. Didn't think I could do it happen but thought about it.
It was my Grandmas birthday and we were at the JBs on Redwood and 7800 South.
I kinda just threw it out there into the conversation. My sister Carrie started the ball rolling. She is a problem solver and just started making suggestions and throwing out things for me to think about.
Long story short:
I DID IT AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.

so I'm just putting it out there.............
I'm Thinking About Moving To Tonga.

Monday, November 30, 2009

I ran away from home.

Last weekend I got to get away on a little Get-Away.
IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!

This was the first time in 4 years that I have left all of my kids over night. I was gone for 3 days and 3 nights. I headed up North for one main reason but jam packed the trip with tonz fun stuff.

My sister, Carrie, had bought out a theater for New Moon opening night. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I had the best seat in the house. I felt a little guilt because I am not a Twi-hard. BUT i really liked the movie. I mean... what's not to love. I was Team Jacob because I am all about the wolves (especially when they run in the rain with their shirts off!).
But I have decided I am now Team Rosalee. I can not stand Bella. LOL.
Anyway, THANK YOU CARRIE for a FUN NIGHT! That was awesome and fun to see a lot of my favorite peeps!

Other highlights of my trip alone:

* Sleeping totally undisturbed and waking up on my own accord. IT WAS FAB!
*Visiting my friend LonVon who has been fighting with nasty brain tumors. I got to paint her nails and that made my day!
*hanging out with my dad and meeting the Tonga's boxing champ
*Going to 7/11 and getting a soda... WITHOUT touching a single carseat, WITHOUT hearing the words "I want", WITHOUT someone asking me if my drink has caffeine in it, WITHOUT cleaning up a single spill. It was weird and cool!
*Art class with my mom
*Celebrating Nicki's birthday. We hung out in Sconecutters parking lot like the good ol days until 1 am. Then the next day I got to see ALL of the Hancocks. I hope my kids will get together like that when they are all adults!
*Hanging out with my sisters without saying, "hold on" or "just a minute" while I tend to my babies. My sisters rock. Love those girls!
*Crafting with Carrie
*Dinner at Training Table
*New Moon with EVERYONE!
*Visiting my bro and having an awesome convo. love that guy!
*Cooking with my dad
*Dinner at my brothers with the whole fam
*FINDING OUT MY SISTER CARRIE IS PREGNANT! WOOOOOO HOOOOO!
*SLC Temple with Melinda and Jon
This night was SOOOOOOO COOOL!!!! I got down town about 45 min. early. It was so weird to cruise around without kids. I tried to do all the things I always want to do but can't. I really love my kids and enjoy my calling as a mom. But I really needed this trip. It was nice to reconnect with myself and get re-energized to do my job better.
The session was a very interesting one for me and there was a little funny that happened in the middle of our session. After Melinda gave me a mini tour of inside the SL Temple. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I was most excited to see the room Tommy and I were sealed in. It is kind of out of the way and not normally used. It was SO cool to see it again. It brought back so many memories of the day we were sealed for time and all eternity!!!
It was the very last session and we didn't end up getting out till around 10:20 cause we were too busy wandering around and taking in all the beauty and history of the SL Temple.
These two are so cute!!! I love them!



Here is a pic of Jon snapping a pic of us while we snap a pic of him:)Here is a cool pic of Jon looking like Joseph Smith:We ended up talking in a parking lot until 2 am. It was crazy to be away from my kids . I really enjoyed it but could not wait to see my baby's faces. They were in such good hands.
Tommy is an amazing Papa. here is a pic he sent me the day I was coming home:



They are so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feel'in the Love

Tim, Bri and Tom came over for a BBQ a few weekends ago.
Lilia had a thing for Tim this night and couldn't get enough hugs.

After Tom made some seriously YUM scones and we all couldn't get enough!
We all played clue in which..... I WON... the first game. But then I got cocky and thought I had the second game in the bag..... which I DID NOT:(.

Anyway, it was so fun. We have some awesome friends!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Little over a year ago....

Tommy took the boys out to Hurricane to see his friends from Murray City barrel race and all that other rodeo stuff.
Lills was just about 4 month old and still sleeping a lot. I remember I was really excited to have a quiet house and be able to do a few things kids free.
the boys were so excited to go ride horses and spend time with their papa. He is such a fun dad!

THE END

2 years ago today....

Seriously, you have to know Owen to LOVE this video! This was 2 years ago. The kids has always been a rock. I've often wondered is he actually feels pain. Love you O!

Prayers for Mama... and Uncle Tim's Foot

What does a Tiger, a Dinosaur and a Rock Star have in common?