8 Weeks

Had my first Dr's appointment today and found out that I'm only 8 weeks along and I'm due on the 7th of January (one day before Lautala turns 2).....

Since I'm so early in the pregnancy, we weren't able to hear a heartbeat, which totally sucked because I was super excited about it.....but he's letting me come back in 2 more weeks just to hear it....and to ease my mind because I've had so many miscarriages.   I feel good about this one though......I mean, I've been super sick and sleeping all the time!  I feel like I wanna throw up all the time, but I don't......so I walk around all day long with that feeling.....it's not the best feeling in the world!   Nothing really sounds good to eat, except crackers and sprite.....and the smell of anything cooked in grease makes me want to throw up even more!  :(  Oh the things we go through when we're pregnant..........it's worth it though and we're so excited to be having another one!

Since I'm due on the 7th of January.......but I have to have a c-section......and I have IHC insurance.......they'll take me a week early, but no earlier......I mentioned to the Dr that that would fall on New Years Eve....and he said "well, looks like you'll have a new years eve baby then"......hahaha  what a great way to ring out the old year, and to start a new year with a new addition to our family!!  Love it!

Our Sunday

Today, my family had the opportunity to speak in church. 

At the beginning of the year our bishop came up with a schedule for the whole ward.....just a calendar to help us finish reading the scriptures by the middle of the year.  Every day we are assigned a chapter to read, and then each family that has the opportunity to talk in sacramanet meeting, has the topic of whatever the scriptures were for that week. 

Our family topic was on 3 Nephi, chapters 11-21.

If you're familiar with 3rd Nephi, it's a very powerful chapter.....and there are so many things to learn from it.  It covers Christ's visit to the Americas after his resurrection.  We read the versus as a family and each person decided to choose their own topic from the versus and base their talk on that.  We helped the kids prepare their talks before we started on ours....

Since Mone is only 4.....he was definitely old enough to give a talk, but just a short, sweet kid talk.  He basically just talked about how he's happy to share what he learned in the Book of Mormon and that Jesus wants him to keep the commandments....and then he bore his testimony

Makai was next......I helped him write his talk about baptism....that was the thing that stood out most to him when we were reading the versus, because he's almost turning 8, and almost going to be baptized.....so he was excited.  I explained to him that the first thing Christ did when he came to America was call Nephi (his prophet) and give him the ordinances of baptism....then he taught the importance of repentance and baptism....and had everyone get baptized.  I was trying to get the point across to Makai that since that was the very first thing Christ did when he came, it must be pretty important!  Makai did a great job on his talk and really showed he understood and that he's so excited to get baptized!

Usually Ma would be part of the program with us, but with her health not too good....she opted not to go through the pain of trying to get to the pulpit........

Ashlee, our foster daughter, asked us if she could be a part of the program.  We were actually very surprised that she wanted to...because she's a very shy person.  When she moved in with us, we told her that we go to church every Sunday and told her if she wanted to come with us, she was more than welcome to....but that we weren't going to make her.  She told us she wanted to and has been coming to church ever since.  A few months into her stay with us, Tea invited the missionaries over to teach her and see if she wanted to get baptized....she took the discussions, it took a while for her to understand it all.....but eventually she told the missionaries she wanted to be baptized.  In the process of preparing her for her baptism, we found out that she had already been baptized back when she was 8 years old.....she just didn't remember.  So it was a good chance to get her activated and to help her understand what we believe.  Tea helped her prepare her talk.....it was short and sweet just like the kids....but we were happy she wanted to be a part of our program, since she is a part of our family!

Tea was next and she talked about keeping the commandments...

Then there was a musical number.......Makai has his Dad's musical talent and asked us if he could sing.  One of his favorite songs is a Tongan hymn called Folofola Mai a Sisu.....you harmonize in the song and there's a part where the boys and girls alternate singing.  He wanted to sing that song, and do the boy's part by himself.  We asked Ova's sisters Alisi and Siosiana to come and sing with Makai (because, let's face it.....I don't sing!....hahaha)  Mone wanted to be part of it too....and even though he only knew the words to the chorus, he sang as loud as he could on those parts..... during the actual program, Ova's mom came up too and made Ova get up and sing with them....but Makai and Mone were front and center with their mouths in the microphone so you could hear them more than anyone else.  It was so cute, and I was so proud of them......I'm so happy they are not shy!  :)

After the song was me.  I like giving talks, but I hate that I am such a cry baby.  My voice sounds so retarded when I'm trying to fight back my tears.....that's how it was though.  I had a hard time trying to decided what to talk about....because the chapters we were covering covered so much information.....but I finally opted to re-cap what happened when Christ came and compare it to his life before the crucifixion and how we have to prepare ourselves for the next time he comes.  I don't ever write my talks out.....I kinda just get a bunch of ideas in my head and then I make bullet points on a piece of paper and go from there......I talked kinda long....almost 20 minutes......I felt bad because I didn't even realize I talked that long, I guess I was just so into my talk and I took up all the time, and left none for Ova.  Thankfully the bishop allowed us to go overtime so Ova could be part of our program...  :)
When I was preparing my talk, so many things came to my head......I started thinking about experiences I had on my mission and how my testimony was strengthened from those experiences.  I started thinking about how much Jesus loves us....and all of us no matter where we're from or who we are.  I started thinking about how we are so lucky to have the fullness of the gospel and to know what Christ did after his resurrection...that proves he loves everyone equally.  We all know that when Christ walked the Earth, he spent his life doing the will of the Father.....he spent his life preaching, teaching, helping, blessing......healing the sick, preforming miracles......but even though he spent his whole life doing good, we all know what happened to him....he was ridiculed, persecuted, beaten, spit-on, denied and eventually crucified.  We all know that from the bible he was resurrected after three days.....but what happened after those three days, not everyone knows.....only those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ and become members of his true church know what happened next...... rewinding a little, we know what happened when Christ died on the cross.....the earth started to tremble and shake....there were strong winds and it was chaos....that lasted 3 hours and then there was darkness for three days.  In 3 Nephi 8:12-19 it tells what happened here in the Americas at that same time.....the exact same thing that was happening over in Jerusalem where he was crucified.......the whole world experienced that quaking and shaking of the Earth...and then darkness....  what we, as Mormons know is that after the third day, he appeared to the people of the Americas.....and taught them exactly the same thing that he spent his whole life teaching the other part of the world.  To me, that shows how much he loves us all, and how important his message is...that he personally came to both nations and taught the same message.  I talked about what he did when he was here and how the people must have felt......put yourself in their shoes.....how would you feel if the Savior was in front of you.....proving all the things you've been taught are true....and teaching you how to have happiness and eternal life?  I can't imagine it...... I tried to tie that into us now days....we know he's coming again....we've learned how the people mocked, denied and persecuted him when he was alive....we learned how the Nephites, even though they had been taught what was right....rebelled and didn't listen to the signs and warnings.......now it's our turn.....are we listening?  Are we ready?  Are we prepared......or are we rebelling like the Nephites did??  It's a question we should all ask ourselves.....are we preparing ourselves?   That was the basis of my talk.....

Ova was the last one to speak.....he always gives good talks....I love listening to him!  He's so knowledgeable about the gospel and he has such deep insights.....he talked about how the thing that was stopping the people from happiness and blessings was the spirit of contention.  He gave several modern day examples of the same thing, even personal examples from his own family, and our little family.....things that we've learned from.....it's interesting to see how even over thousands of years, we face the same problems....

Like I said before, we went overtime by about 10 minutes.....and that was all my fault because I'm so long-winded....but we did a good job and I'm glad it's over!! 

Happy Sunday everyone!

Thank you!

All night last night, and again as I woke up this morning.....my heart has been aching and hurting for the Falatea and Moala families.  Their oldest daughter/grandaughter has been fearlessly, courageously and miraculously fighting for her life since November, and last night she lost her battle.

As soon as Ova's brother called and told us the news, I started crying....and pretty much every time I think about her, or her family I tear up.  I can't imagine how they must feel right now, and I'm pretty sure nothing anyone can say or do will help ease the pain of their loss.....but I pray and hope they can find comfort in the gospel and the knowledge that families are forever!

I know that Lauren is happy and pain free now, and even though she's not here in person, her spirit will always live on through her family and friends and all those that love her.

She was such a young little girl, but she has taught me so much and helped strengthen my testimony more than she probably ever even realized.  From the moment I heard about the struggles she was going through......and I went and saw her in the hospital, she had a sort of strength and determination and will-power in her eyes.  She proved the Dr's wrong several times and continually proved to all of us that the Lord is the one that is in control and regardless of what the Dr's said.....her faith in the Lord would overcome.  The Dr's gave her a small chance of surviving one of her surgerys, but through faith, fasting and lots of prayer.....she even surprised the doctors.  She was an amazing young lady, and I'm so grateful I got to know her.  She has an amazingly supportive and loving family and my heart and prayers are with this through this difficult time.

Life is too short.  Reach out to those you love and hug them a little tighter, squeeze them a little longer.

Love you Lauren......you are truly an angel!  

Really??!!!

It's been over a month now that Ova and I have been going to the gym religiously.....working out, eating less and a lot healthier.....our routines at the gym are getting more intense and we're pushing ourselves even more......which makes me expect better results......

Ova is getting them!!  It's only been a month and he's lost 35lbs.....and that's all naturally, no supplements, no diets....just exercise and eating right....

I'M NOT SEEING RESULTS  :(

I've really been trying not to let myself get discouraged, but it's hard.....I stepped on the scale yesterday and only lost 1 more pound since the last weigh in......total of 6 freakin' pounds in a month compared to Ova's almost 40.  Even worse, I've had a head cold for the past couple days and sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode because of the pressure.....it makes it hard to work out with all the pressure in my head, but I keep pushing myself!!   We've been going at random times instead of a set time every day because our work-out schedule has to work around my school, work and our kids......our normal time to hit the gym has been around 11pm when all the kids are sleeping (Tea and Ma are here if needed) and we're there for a couple hours.  I find myself completely exausted and I even fell asleep on on of the weights in between my sets....(who does that??!!)  hahaha.  I'm sure it was just cause I hadn't been sleeping enough and because we were working out in the middle of the night..... I never really thought anything of it.....but the past couple days I noticed my work-out pants have started getting super tight on me.  I do wash our clothes every night as soon as we get home from the gym, so I thought maybe I should start washing them in cold instead of warm so it won't shrink so much (tighter pants and minimal weight loss doesn't help my frustration!)  Then yesterday I ate a piece of chicken and I actually threw up...... WHAT????

Ova asked me.............babe, are you pregnant??  I brushed him off and said no way......(I just had a miscarriage a couple months ago)  He kinda just dropped the subject.....but it made the wheels turn in my head.....so I decided to check.....

sure enough........................it was POSITIVE!!!  If Ova didn't mention it, it honestly never would have crossed my mind......but that would explain my moody and tired all the time behavior!!  haha

I really would have liked to get to my goal weight before getting pregnant, but we are ecstatic and super excited!!  I just found out the other day.....and I'm not sure how far along I am or when I'll be due....but my first Dr's appt in next Friday the 27th!!

So, I guess there's a reason why I haven't been losing weight like I'd like to.....and why my pants are getting tighter.....and why I fell asleep on the gym equipment.......hahaha

I plan to keep hitting the gym with Ova for as long as I can.....I'll be smart about it though!! 

YAY FOR BABY #4!!!

Turning a new leaf.....

"If your heart is in the right place, tell your butt to get there!"

I got married back in November 2002......this is what I looked like back then......

I've never been small by any means of the word....always the biggest one in my family, especially since both my sisters were a size 2 in high school and I was never smaller than a 12.......but while on my mission in Chile, I lost a lot of weight and the size I was when I got married was perfect for me.  I would give anything to be that size again.......

Lately, I'd say for the past several years....I've been absolutely disgusted with myself.  It's actually gotten to the point where I try to always be the one taking pictures so I don't have to be in them....and I can't even stand looking at myself in the mirror.  I'm in denial about the size of clothes I have to buy now and I just hate how I feel and how I see myself.  It's totally my own fault, I've totally let myself go since being married....and after almost 9 years and 3 babies.......I've gained 65lbs.  :( 

Ova is so sweet, he's constantly telling me I'm beautiful and when we dress up to go somewhere, he always tells me I look nice.  I'm grateful for that....but I just don't see it......

I totally blame myself, because for the last few years I've been throwing a pity party for myself and not doing anything about it.....I mean, how am I gonna make myself feel better about myself if I don't take any action to fix the problem.....it's not like it can fix itself!

So, Ova's older brother has a friend who works at the Gold's Gym in Provo.....his brother has been going there for a couple months now, and he kept telling us how great he feels and how much weigh he is losing.....I totally thank him for giving us the motivation to start!

On April 19th, Ova and I became members of Gold's Gym.....and honestly we made a goal that day to go to the gym everyday, to eat healthier, and to motivate and push each other to get where we both want to be.  Thankfully, we've been sticking to our plan!

I'm actually very surprised at myself.  I've never really dedicated myself to a workout program before, and I'm pretty much super lazy......I could just see myself getting tired and instead of pushing myself, just giving up.  I didn't really know at first how this deal we made was going to work out.  Like I said, I'm actually very surprised at myself.....I have been able to push myself a lot harder than I thought I would be able to and I've been keeping up with the schedule we set for ourselves!

Here's our gym routine:

When we get there, we ride the bike for 20 minutes....just to get some cardio in and to stretch out before we lift....

Then we lift.....alternating arms one day, legs the next......

Ova is my personal trainer and he's the best because he pushes me when he sees I need pushing and he always says "good job babe" after every set he sees me struggle through.

After we lift, we hit the treadmill......we're not at the point where we can run like we'd both like to....so for now we speed walk for 20-40minutes.

And somedays when we're done with our workout, we hit the sauna and hot tub!

I'm very grateful that we have the ability to go together.....to workout together, lose weight together and get in shape together.  It's quality time that we get to spend together and I love it!

I must say though, I'm getting extremely discouraged because he's dropping weight so much quicker than I am.....it's frustrating because we work out the same...do everything the same (except for the weights of course, because he can lift so much more than me)......but he's already dropped 30lbs, and I've only dropped 5.  I know that men lose weight a lot quicker than women......but it's frustrating!

I gotta stick to it though and keep pushing!  Although my results aren't as great as Ova's......I feel great and that's what I'm happy about!  It feels great to know that I'm finally doing something to change what I hate about myself.....and even if it takes a while.... I.CAN.DO.IT!!!

QT w/ Ma

Ma's been living with us for the last 8 years, and never before have I seen her with painted fingernails.  But lately, that's been her obsession....and I love it because it's quality time we get to spend with her. 

It all started when she got sick the last time.  She was in the hospital for quite a while and everytime the doctors or nurses would come in and check her leg to make sure the blood was flowing correctly, she would get embarrassed by her toenails.  Keep in mind that she is almost 89 years old, so of course it's normal to have old brittle nails....but she was embarrassed by hers.  It was actually cute to see how much she'd blush or laugh her little embarrassed laugh whenever her toes were exposed......hahaha.....Ova would always joke with her and tell her not to worry about it because she was old, but she didn't care what he said.....she was embarrassed!  I asked her if she wanted me to go home and get some fingernail polish and come and paint her toes and her fingers.....she immediately said YES, and was very excited about it!!

Ever since she's been home, we've been keeping her fingernails pretty and colorful!!  Sau leka, Ova's little brother came over, went in Ma's room and painted her fingernails red.....she loved them!

She kept her nails red for about a week, and then she saw the new color I just put on Lautala.....it was like a bright orange/pink color and she asked me if I could paint her nails that color.  I went to the store and bought some nails polish remover and took off the red so I could put on the new color!

That color lasted about a week too, and then she saw this natural looking color with a golden/shiny tint to it.  Tea found the bottle from her coupon shopping and painted her own nails.....Ma saw it and loved it.  She asked me to change her nail color again to the one that Tea was wearing......it was funny because she asked me to do it when I was on my way out the door to the gym.  I told her I would do it when I got back home....she said ok, but I could tell she didn't want to wait so I told Ova to wait and I went and got the nail polish remover and paint.  I did her nails really quick before I headed out.  She was so happy!

I love Ma.  I am very blessed to have her living with me.  I'm very blessed that my kids know her and are so close to her.  I know she is getting older, and she has had a lot of medical problems lately, but she's a fighter and she's still so strong.  I count these little moments with her, even though they may be small, as a huge blessing and something I will always be able to look back and remember when someday she's not with us.  I've learned a lot from her.....she's one of the most spiritual people I know.  Even though she's almost 89, she still reads her scriptures or church books every day.  She teaches the lesson in our FHE when it's her turn and she prays all the time.  She's a great example of faith and love.  I am blessed.  I am grateful.  I love her!

Rewinding a little....

So I totally skipped my whole blog about Easter this past year, shame on me!!  It's not so much the Easter egg hunts that I wanted to blog about, but I didn't want to leave out the QT my kids got to spend with their cousins and Aunty Siosi! 

Siosiana is Ova's little sister.....she's really his first cousin, but she was raised with them so she's the little sister.  We love her to peices!!  She's the best Aunty because she is ALWAYS thinking about her neices and nephews.....never fails when a holiday rolls around that she has some kind of game or activity planned for them.  This Easter was no different.......she texted all us mom's and made sure we didn't have any plans for our kids....cause she was coming over!!  It was even sweeter too because the Vegas cousin's were here!!

The activity she had planned with the kids was to make caramel apples.  She showed up with everything you can think of to put on the apples, she went all out!!  But before we started making them, we all ate dinner together because she bought like 10 pizzas, breadsticks, and soda.....she really is the BEST!!

She had all the kids go outside and play while she prepared all the stuff for them.  Thanks to Uncle TiTonga, he organzied a soccer game to keep the kids occupied while we were inside getting ready....

Aunty Siosi & Uncle Sau preppin the apples...

A wide variety of toppings to choose from...

Thank you Aunty Siosi........you're the best & we LOVE you!!!

Springtime??!!

The weather in Utah is so unpredictable.....and this year it seems to be even worse.  We're already in the month of May and have only had a couple warm days without snow or rain.....people keep saying we're going to go straight from winter to summer and skip spring....the way the weather has been acting, it looks like that really is true!!  haha

There was finally a warm day and you better believe we took full advantage of it.  We packed up the kids and took them to the park (along with everyone else in the neighborhood)......it was like 65 degrees and everyone was enjoying finally having some warmth!

This was the first time we'd taken Lautala to the park....and I thought she'd be scared to go down the slide, but she was not even a little bit scared.  She laughed so loud as Ova would put her at the top and let her go, then run to the bottom of the slide to catch her.  She loved it!!  I, of course stood there watching them and taking pictures.  We stayed there for a couple hours playing on the slides and swings, and then we went over to the basketball court and played a little game of b-ball with the kids.....Ova solicited a few random kids that were there and split them into two teams.....my team, and his team.....it was so much fun.....and my team WON!!  hahaha

Anyways, that nice weather didn't last long....cause the next day it was snowing again....but at least we got to spend a little quality family time together the one day it was warm!!  :)

Isn't this just the cutest picture ever!!  I love that I captured her puckered lips and closed eyes....so cute!!  :)

Twins!!

Ok, so I never really thought Lautala looked anything like me......from the day she was born, everyone, myself included, thought she was a lighter version of Ova.....but then my little brother showed me a picture that completely changed my mind.....he was going through an old box of pictures at my moms house and he found a picture of me when I was 1 year old........OMG, she is my twin!!  She even cries like I did.....hahaha  so crazy!!

Life's Lessons...

Isn't it amazing how much things change when you get your priorities straight?  A couple months ago I could have sworn my life was falling apart....everything that could have gone wrong, was....and I didn't seem to know what was going on.  Ova lost his job at Dannon, that was the biggest heart-breaker.....Dannon was a HUGE blessing for our family and losing it hurt alot.  Honestly when I heard about it, I felt like it was the end of the world (I know that sounds super dramatic, but that's what I felt like at the time)  With Dannon becoming a union company, they are fighting to get him his job back, but there's no time frame on how long it could take to get an answer.  So we just wait.  Also at that time, Ova and I had been arguing a lot....over stupid things that didn't make any sense.  I found out I was pregnant around Valentine's day and we were so excited.....but a couple weeks later, I lost the baby with what would have been one of the worst miscarriages I've ever had (and that was my 4th one)....I was devastated....Something was not right.  I felt like we were doing fine, and I didn't understand why these negative things were happening.  Then I read a quote on one of my friend's blogs and the light went on in my head....this was the quote I read:

"When we put God first, ALL other things fall into their proper place OR drop out of our lives.  Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."  -Pres. Benson

Ova's schedule at Dannon was Sun-Wed from 6am-630pm...that meant that he NEVER went to church.  I was really good about taking the kids to church every Sunday at first, but then I got lazy.  We missed a Sunday here and there or sometimes we would be late.  I always complained that church was too early (9am) so I just brushed it off as not a big deal if we were late. (Keep in mind that I usually work at 4am or 5am and I'm never late for work)  My mindset was completely in the wrong place and even though I look back on it now and see how crazy my thinking was, during that time I didn't think anything of it.  With Ova not going to church, his spirituality went way down.....and instead of me picking up the slack....unfortunately so did mine.  I'm so ashamed to actually admit to that because we're both returned missionaries, we both have strong testimonies, and we both know what is right.  Ova started drinking kava again and I would find us fighting all the time because he would go a couple nights a week and stay out all night.  I was not happy.

I'm so grateful for Makai.  He truly is a blessing to our family.  He was the one that was constantly reminding us to say our family prayers and to have family home evening.  He's the one who helped me every Sunday to get ready for church by packing Lautala's diaper bag or helping Mone get dressed.  He's got such a strong spirit, and more than once he's helped me to do what I know I need to do.

I was lost and didn't know what to do.  Talking to Ova about the kava thing was like talking to a brick wall.  He didn't think anything was wrong with it because he was just hanging out with his friends.....but I saw how much it was affecting our family.  Me trying to tell him not to go would only make him more mad and we would fight even more.  I cried many nights when he would go.  Then I finally decided to follow Pres. Benson's counsel.  I went to the bishop.  I cried to him and talked to him and asked for his help, his guidance and his counsel.  That would turn out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I had to take some steps to show Ova how much his kava habit was affecting our family.......because talking just wasn't working.  Ultimately, with a lot of prayer, patience, and persistance.....Ova was able to see where I was coming from.  He finally understood why I was so unhappy, and he was the one that decided to make a change.  Since that incident, he hasn't gone out with the boys to drink kava.  He made the choice that me and the kids were more important to him than his late night sessions with his boys......I'm so grateful he did!!  His boys still call him on the weekends asking him to come out.....and I don't even say anything to him anymore....he chooses not to go and it's made all the difference in the world!  He was teaching a lesson in church one Sunday and the lesson was on the word of wisdom.  He brought up kava because it is a big problem among the young polynesian men.  He said a lot of the guys in the class slouched down and covered their faces, because they knew they were guilty of it.  They asked him questions and he was honest with them.....he said "I realized I didn't want to lose something eternal for something so temporal".....I was so happy to hear him say that!

The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways.  Losing one of the best jobs Ova ever had has actually turned out to be a huge blessing.  Now we're going to church ontime every Sunday together as a family and Ova has a calling that he fulfills 100%.  We have FHE every Monday and family prayers every night.  Like I said at the beginning, it's amazing how much things change when you get your priorities straight.

Now I just hope and pray that the Lord will bless us with another job for Ova.....a job that will allow him to support our family and still go to church.  I know if we continue to do what we need to be doing, he will bless us!  He always does!

Mother's Day 2011

Makai, my oldest son is so thoughtful.........let me tell you why........

Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, Ova and I were sitting in the living room just hanging out with Filimone, Lautala and Ma.....Makai left with Tea somewhere and they'd been gone for quite a while.  I was half way dozing off when I felt these cold little hands come up behind me and give me a hug.  I turned around to see who it was and it was Makai with a BIG smile on his face and a boquet of flowers in his hand.  After he handed me the flowers, he handed me a corsage to wear to church on Sunday, and a gift bag.  In the bag was a card, and two dresses that he picked out for me from Ross.  I cried.  He totally made me feel special and totally made my Mother's Day.  He's such a nice and sweet kid and he's always doing thoughtful things for me.  I have piles of letters he's written to me and pictures he's drawn.  I'm blessed to have a son like him.

After Makai had given me all the stuff, and I stopped crying, he went outside to play.....Tea came over to tell me what went down earlier.  She said that when I was sleeping, Makai went and asked her if she had any money.  She asked him why....he told her that he needed some money because my wedding ring broke and the new one I had made my finger green....and he wanted to buy me one that didn't make my finger green.  (A diamond in my real wedding ring fell out so I just bought a fake one at Walmart until I can fix my ring).....I was so surprised that he actually noticed.  Tea told him that she didn't have enough for a ring, but that she would take him to the store to find something.  She said she let him pick everything.  They went to Ross to get me some dresses and Tea had picked a few out for me.  When she showed them to Makai, he made her put them back.  He was telling her that I wouldn't like those kinds of dresses, and he went and picked out new ones for me.  I must admit he did an awesome job!  Both the dresses he picked fit perfectly and I LOVE them!  He picked the flowers and the corsage.....he even picked the card and wrote in it by himself.  Tea said she cried too as she watched him so excited to be getting the stuff for me.  And in the van on the way home he thanked her and told her that when he gets older and gets a job, he would pay her back.  I love surprises and he totally surprised me.  Like I said earlier, I am so blessed to have a son like him.

The next day was actually Mother's Day.  I felt very special and loved.  I had to work that morning, but only from 4am-8am.....by the time I got home my husband had made me breakfast.....my favorite breakfast, a mushroom, spinach omelet with chedder cheese and green onions.....yummy!!  We went to church and when we came back from church I took a L-O-N-G nap.....can't believe how tired I was and I can't believe that nobody bothered me that whole time I was sleeping.  I woke up to a house full of delicious smelling food.  Just like every other Mother's Day, the guys went all out for us Mother's........we took all the food over to Ova's parents house and ate there.  So much good food and good company!

I love my family very much and am very blessed to have them!  Hope all the Mother's out there had as great a Mother's Day as I did!! 

Mother's Day GNO

Top:  Pola, Marie, Me

Bottom: Leka, Leslie, Mom

Every year for Mother's Day, my sisters and I all get together with our mom for a sort of Mother's Day GNO......just a time every year that we can get away from the husbands and kids and spend some much needed girl time with each other.  This year we met up on Wednesday at the South Towne mall to get mani/pedi's......they had a special going on where you could get the deluxe pedicure for only $20.....that included wax, hot stones, massage, everything was included......it was so much fun!  Pola wanted to get her nails filled, so she did that while the rest of us got pampered in the pedicure chair.

Marie letting the hot wax mold to her feet.....felt so nice!

My beautiful toes.....hahaha

And our finished products....we all went for bright colors, with the flower of course!

Pola's animal fingernails.......ROAR!!  hahaha

When we were done with our mani/pedi's.....we were trying to decide where to get some dinner....as we walked out of the mall, we saw the Texas Roadhouse right there in the mall parking lot.....yummy, that sounded so good!!  We all agreed that that would be the spot!  Their food is DELISH.....if you've never eaten there before (and you're a steak or ribs fan) you've gotta go there!  There food is amazingly delicious!

Before we went into the restaurant, I surprised them with a little homemade treat......caramel apples dipped in white chocolate and oreos, or in white chocolate and cinnamon/sugar! 

After dinner, we wanted to catch a movie......we all ended up at the District with tickets to watch the new movie Water for Elephants.  I didn't really know what to expect from the movie, never heard of it or the book the movie is based on, but honestly....the movie was awesome!  There were some parts in the movie that pissed me off, and some parts that made me cry.......but doesn't all those emotions in a movie mean the movie is good??!!  I really liked it!  Crazy to think it was based on a true story and to see how life was back in the times of the great depression.

After the movie, it was almost midnight so we said our goodbye's and headed home.  It was a successful and fun night with my mom and sisters. 

I love these women so much and am constantly reminded of how grateful I am for them.  They are always there for me whenever I need them, and they love me unconditionally!  I'm so grateful for my mom.  She's been working ever since I can remember.  My Dad owns his own construction business, and so at times when his business wasn't doing so well, or when it was winter and there was no work, she always stepped up to the plate and did what she needed to to support our family.  I don't know of a woman that works harder than she does.  She's been a great example to me of hard-work and dedication and also the importance of going to school and getting a degree.  My sisters, Leslie & Marie, are the best mother's....I watch how they are with their kids and I try to learn from their examples.  Leslie is constantly running around from dance to gymnastics to anything and everything to support her kids.  She's such a great example to me of motherhood.  My little sister is too!  I honestly think her role in life was to be a mother.  It amazes me how she can take all 6 of her kids (all 9 and under) to church and have them all sit reverently and listen.  I have a hard time with my three....but she's got six and one on the way.  I admire both my sisters very much and am grateful for their love and examples!  My little sister Leka is the best!  All the kids love her because she loves them so much.  She's the Aunty that always gets down on the ground to roll around with the kids, she plays hard with them just as if she was a kid herself.  She cleans and cooks, she never complains.  Love her!  Then there's my sis-in-law Pola.....who just found out she's expecting.  Yay!!  I've been blessed with such wonderful women in my life and I am grateful!

Finally.....a break!

I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. 

It's 10pm and I just got back from taking my last final of the semester.....I can't even tell you how happy I am that I am officially done with these classes. 

Trying to juggle being a wife, a mother of 3, working, and going to school full-time.....is so hard!!  I'm glad I get to take a break for a couple weeks......then I'm right back to the rat race!

Hopefully I only have 2 more semesters before I transfer up to the U to finish my degree in Business/Accounting. 

It's been a hard and stressful road, but I know it's worth it and that if I just stick with it I will be able to bless my family and help out financially!!

I'm grateful for my husband who keeps pushing me when I want to just quit.....I'm grateful for my kids who know not to bother me when I'm doing my homework, but always seem to know when to sneak in and give me a kiss and tell me they love me, or bring me a snack.

I've neglected my blog a bit and I have so many things I need to post to get caught up.....I hate that feeling of being so behind!  Maybe if I sleep ALL DAY tomorrow and get caught up from all the nights of only 2-3 hours of sleep......I'll be refreshed and revived and motivated to get caught up!!

Until then........