TONGA

HOLY WORKOUT EPIPHANY

2011-09-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Working out I've always only known one speed. ALL OUT/LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FLOOR...that worked fine when I was 17 going all out all the time. Not so much after 2 babies and not a serious workout in over a decade.

Picking up working out again has been really hard for me. Exercises that I used to be able to breeze through, I am barely surviving for minutes much less, the entire workout. I just attributed this to my being about 30lbs heavier than my body is used to...and not mention my fitness level is like...rock bottom. So my husband, who is a personal trainer, told me about this little thing called a TARGET HEART RATE. For more detailed info...go here I was like psh...you dont know my body, i know my body. If I don't do it all out I'm just being lazy...I just need to push through! I mean, so what if i'm nauseous and dizzy...working out sucks! its nothing new...I mean, come on...when I think of measuring my heart rate, I get and image of 50 year olds power walking and stopping to check their wrist. He says its FACTS and it will help.

Alright fine, this guy thinks he knows everything about working out...ill prove him wrong! So I humored him...only to prove him wrong, like i said. So I found my resting heart rate, and calculated my target heart rate (140-170), bought myself a cute pink watch that measures my heart rate, and gave it a try.

I noticed RIGHT AWAY that I was working way too hard. Everytime my heart rate spiked, I stopped and let it come down a little. I've been doing INSANITY for a week now...and I literally LOATHE workout time everyday. Like, I dread it alllll day long...all throughout the workout...and as soon as it's over I dread the coming workout tomorrow. I hardly ever finish the whole workout...I end up getting my mandatory 20 minutes and end up turning it off. I figure I'm fat, this isn't meant for fat people. WRONG. I guess my mind isnt in the same place as my body...so i set unrealistic standards for myself.

Anyway back to the workout...so I'm warming up and my heart rate is like, 180...so I gotta slow down. I don't stop but I go a little less HARDCORE...and pace myself. okay, I'm thinking Okay, this isnt even a real workout...manase is SOOOOO wrong. Ha!

After my 45 minutes...I feel INCREDIBLE. For the 1st time since starting this regimen i FINISHED the workout! I'm sweating like a PIG...but I don't feel like hurtling myself off a cliff! As a matter of fact...I'm on a high! So this is what an adrenaline high feels like. I can't wait for the workout tomorrow. Me! I can now understand, a little bit, people who are addicted to working out. After my 10 minute cool down/stretch..i check my HR and its STILL at 150. Like, WHAT? come on...this doesn't even make sense, but its true!!

Here's the Epiphany. PACE YOURSELF. I know, super old concept, like DUH right? But I never really did it. I would sprint and go as hard as i can and literally last 5 minutes, and take an additional 5 minutes to convince myself to get back into it. But with this THR thing..I take a couple seconds to calm down, and I'm back in it. I last SOO much longer, and after the workout I feel like I worked my butt off but still feel great! AH-MAZE-ING.

Now, some of you are probably laughing at me thinking, this is old news. But I always saw people who stopped for breath as WEAK. That's how it is in sports. You do the drill, and you're not allowed to stop. You just push through it. Now, working out to lose weight...it's a whole different ball game people. This is amazing. As I sit here...typing...my body is STILL burning fat calories..like, this is crazy.

fine....manase was right....for once. ;)

Anyway, just thought I'd share my excitement...

Bragging time: I started this journey at 190 with my goal weight 150(how much I weighed when I found out I was pregnant with misi) by December. I am now at 164...14 lbs away! So I've decided to reset my new goal to 140 by the time my baby bro gets back on Dec 21. Then we're trying for another one and I'm so excited. :)

Here's to a healthier, happier, SKINNY AND PREGNANT(soon hopefully) me!

If you're in need of a laugh...

2010-10-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

What the MIA??

2010-10-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Missing In Action...ha...its true! IM NOT DEAD! We're alive...in Oakland...and still trying to figure out how we feel about it...well, at least I am. I'm still trying to decide if I even want to bother going over the last several months. Lets just start with the big ones which I will write blog entries for later. For now, lets just cover the bullet versions! ha

*Training camp came and went. We attended our very first NFL game on August 28th against the San Francisco 49ers...we lost :( but it was fun to watch my love live his dream...even if it was on the wrong die of the ball and the wrong team..lol

*Manase made the Raiders practice squad. I was over the moon....so proud of him!

*My Leila bugg turned 1! and we had a big ol' birthday bash combined with her cousin Micah who turns one in October.

*After way too much time apart, the kids and I finally moved to Oakland to join Daddy...

And now here we are...living in a hotel room...in the middle of Oakland. A foreign city, where I know like 3 people...at least that I know well enough to call...and no friends. Thankfully I have my family, Manase's family is also up here...so I'm getting an opportunity to get to know them a little better. I do enjoy that we are together as a family for the 1st time since May. I also LOVE the city of San Francisco. Growing up Orange County, which is known as the suburbs of LA, I've never been this close to a real life city. SanFran is just a short drive over the bay bridge and I love going there, it makes me feel like I'm in a movie or something. lol I LOVE seeing the ocean everyday, I LOVE the early 20th century architecture that is EVERYWHERE. I never really appreciated the bay area for all the beauty there is to be seen up here.

I'm not going to even talk about all the things i MISS because that will just make me cry and get me all depressed. but those people know who they are. :)

I prefer pics over words...they do say a thousand words so here we go.

Leila Lata 'i Lomoloma Tonga turns 1

2010-09-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

My babygirl is already a year old and I can't believe it!

*doesn't walk yet but she can stand on her own
*she has 4 teeth, two on top, two on bottom
*crawls like a pro...and is probably faster than Semisi runs
*weighs 25lbs...although she doesnt look it!
*is mommy's little independent baby. she does her own thing and doesnt want to be bothered by anyone especially her brother. She sleeps by herself and even puts herself to sleep.
*has an odd obsession with anything soft. she holds it up to her mouth and nose to where its barely touching and her mouth looks like its sucking on an invisible binkie..and she zones out...its the WEIRDEST thing to watch and i have no clue where she got it from! but she has to do it to fall asleep. lol

For her birthday we did a combined party with my nephew Micah who turns 1 in October. It was a prince/princess theme (of course) but it turned out way cuter than i even imagined! We made EVERYTHING for this party. From the personalized invitations, to the birthday banner, to the tissue ball decorations and Castle centerpieces. *even the CONFETTI!* It was definitely a labour of love and I haven't a clue how we're going to ever top this one! haha

did that just happen??

2010-09-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cOb52tJP78&feature=related

Raiders Family Day in Napa Valley

2010-08-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Raiders had a "family day" on Sunday at their training camp in Napa so I figured it would be a great excuse for us to see Manase, especially since its been nearly a month since we've seen him. So we packed up the car on Friday and drove 7 hours up to Napa Valley.

It was such a beautiful day and we were so excited to see him in action. It was so nice to see him fulfilling his dream, I couldn't be more proud of everything he's done. The kids so ECSTATIC to see him. I think it's harder on them than anyone else. It always breaks my heart seeing Semisi break down every time he has to leave his Dad. He already recognizes that his Dad is gone a lot...so when we do see him, Semisi is so stuck to him because he's afraid of Manase leaving again. It's hard, but we know that these small sacrifices are necessary right now so our lives can be a little easier in the long run. Hopefully we'll be able to move up and join Manase in Oakland soon.

Anyway, it was a fun day! We watched practice and there was a BBQ for all the guests afterwards. His schedule was open for the rest of the night until bed check at 11 so we spent every possible second together.

The hardest part is over, as far as being apart. The Raiders first preseason game was last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Manase played a little bit in the 2nd quarter and the entire 3rd quarter. He had some really solid blocks and I was so excited to see him play in his first NFL game. It was a great game! The Raiders pulled out the win 17-9 which was exciting!

He plays in Chicago on Saturday, then they finally come home to Oakland to play the 49ers. We'll be there for sure to cheer him on in person. GO #41!

Perfect

2010-08-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

So this post was sparked by a friend of mine who decided to put me on blast for referring to her adorable little family as "perfect".

It makes me think...what makes a marriage or a family PERFECT..or at least appear to be. Well, my first response would be that there's no such thing. Just like we are all human, and cannot be perfect without the Savior who atoned for our sins that we might achieve perfection...I guess imperfect people couldnt possibly have a perfect marriage...or could they?

Now we're getting deep here. This questions begs an even broader one. Stay with me here people...my mind tends to wander ALOT. The Savior was once referred to as the "Bridegroom" and the church the "bride", one without the other would have no purpose, right? So more literally...a bride and a groom, like Manase and I...should be the same right?

Anyway, we all know them. THE PERFECT FAMILY in church. While you're sitting in the back row in sacrament with candy, cheerios, baby spit up all making up the colors on your black blouse. Your hair hasn't been properly brushed for who knows how long...you haven't worn makeup...well, since you had them...which by this time means you dont even know what the word makeup means anymore! You insist on wearing slippers because you REFUSE to break your ankle running after an overly rambunctious 2 year old (who seems to believe that his mission in life is to make yours a living hell) in 6 inch heels. Your baby wont seem to stop crying for anything and you swear it seems like they want to cry just because they KNOW they're not supposed to. Meanwhile your husband is dozing off, not even noticing your frustration. Just as you're questioning your sanity...wondering why did I get married and do this to myself? I used to be so cute and dolled up for church...in walks "The Smiths" as we'll call them. Their four kids are perfectly groomed from their starched shirts and ties to the girls perfectly curled hair. The file in quietly, sit in the front row, and you never hear a peep from the kids, not even the 10 month old. Even he's folding his arms!! haha All the kids know their scriptures and can proudly recite all 13 articles of faith their mom made them memorize. Even the mom has perfect hair...often I find myself staring and wondering when does this lady find time to all this?? After sacrament you have to listen to her go on and on about what a perfect life they have. They're children never misbehave and her husband is Prince charming straight outta the fairytales. *gag*

Maybe I'm the only one who's dealt with a family like this...but it brings to mind something my dad always told me. "The only people who are normal, are the people you don't know" to which I could make my own change for the sake of relevancy that "The only people who are PERFECT are the people you don't know" or at least that you don't know well enough to know their imperfections. No one's perfect once you get to know them. We all have fights, and tantrums, and I'm sure that at one time or another we've all googled what it would take to get a divorce, whether serious or not. (or maybe thats just me haha)

I like to think that although our marriage may not be perfect...the sum of us is MUCH better than the parts. I am far from perfect...and my husband has his imperfections too...oh lets be honest...he's about as far from it as i am. hahaha But what I love about us is that together, we make up for what the other lacks. He fills in my blank spots and I fill in his. Sure, we fight..alot. but that just means we makeup just as much! And with every fight I learn something new about him and also about myself. We learn what makes the other angry or what makes them sad, so we can hopefully adjust to avoid that argument in the future. With every mistake, with every disagreement, we grow. we're like a jigsaw puzzle...apart we just look like jagged pieces of nothing...but TOGETHER...well, put together we could be a work of art...and a perfect one at that. So yes...I think we're perfect...even if it's just imperfectly perfect. We, together, make the perfect picture. And once you add our family, it just makes the picture that much more beautiful.

We're all working together, striving for perfection and eternity...not one of us could do it alone. And its PERFECT. So say what you will about us...okay we fight, I may not dress up like I used to, I've gained alot of weight, my babies are free spirits and don't listen to a word i say, my house is a mess, my husband doesn't buy me flowers, he ignores me alot...but in all our imperfections...we are a perfect family. And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

There goes my baby...

2010-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

So it's been a long summer already for our family. Football season is right around the corner....and I feel like it never left! Although i am SOOOOOO grateful that my husband is signed with a team right now...(even though they have YET to give us our checks they owe us for well....all of summer) I MISS MY HUSBAND!! I know everyone is sick of hearing it..but I do. he didn't leave for the weekend...or even the week...well not even the month!! I wont be seeing him again until SEPTEMBER!! Yes, you read it right people...september. I will be a single mother of 2 babies for at least 6 weeks. Im considering getting some kind of medication to get me through it (everyone else is Utah apparently takes Prozac...why not me??) hahaha IM KIDDING...or am i?

So in the mean time, me and the babies are here in the OC staying with my parents until final cuts determine our fates for the next several months. I miss Utah...i miss my friends and my family. But moving is definitely a change..and a welcomed one at that. I AM excited that there's so much at our fingertips...but we're literally straddling the line here. I don't mean to sound negative...I'm just being honest. I've decided that I need to be more honest on this blog...I don't ever want to come across like I don't have any worries or concerns because I do! I'm a woman after all.

Here's a bombshell...I've done it before...I've wondered what it would be like if all this time alone led me into the arms of another. (Not considered...just wondered..there's a difference, look it up) I reminisced for a second of how fun it was to start a new relationship with someone. all the butterflies and the excitement of knowing nothing about this person and still being so obsessed with them...it brought a smile to my face. Then I imagined the consequences...my life without Manase. My kids without their dad. And the worst one, Manase with another woman! Kissing someone else and holding someone else the way he does me...and that stopped me in my tracks. It's like this country song I heard recently...

When I think about cheatin'
I just think about you leavin'
And how my world would fall to pieces
If I tossed your love away
Even when I'm tempted by some stranger
Oh there's never any danger
I just think about you leavin'
When I think about cheatin'

Ha! and It's so true! There's a whole bunch of songs that come to mind when I think about losing Manase(honestly sometimes I wish life were a musical so we could just sing all our emotions out hahaha) especially another called "The one who holds my heart" by Luther Vandross. In the chorus he states "I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else. I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself. I'd rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart." I love it! Sometimes pop icons say what I fell better than I ever could.

So next time you fight with your spouse...and you swear you would be better off without him...seriously think about that. Think about life would be like without him...and I bet you'll be a little bit less angry. Or just be like me and think of how it would be if he was loving someone else...i bet it would make you appreciate him a little bit more. :) So do something nice for that man of yours once in a while...

In case you missed it...i REALLY miss my other half.

Mommy day

2010-05-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever really appreciated my Mother until I became one myself. Well, not that I didn't appreciate her, I just don't think I could ever understand the kind of love a mother has for her child until I had children of my own. After having Semisi, and seeing how enthralled I was with him, i started to think of the things I've said and done to my mom that broke her heart(mostly during my teenage years) and the thought brought tears to my eyes. I thought of all the unkind things I may have said to her purely out of anger, or even the things I had said when I was bitter or angry that she never even heard...and then I imagine my kids saying and doing those things to me and the feeling of guilt was overwhelming. As I sat that one day holding this new child in my arms and reflecting on the perfectness of his spirit, it was hard for me to imagine him as a stubborn teen. And by "hard" i mean heartbreaking! I knew how this little bundle I had worked nine long months forming made me melt. I knew how my heart swelled to full capacity at the mere sight of him. I thought of how I felt like I couldn't possibly love anything or anyone else like I loved this baby. I thought of Semisi yelling and fighting with me as a teenager, and thought that I wouldnt be able to help flashing back to that moment when he was a baby, lying in my arms and comforted by me..thats it, just being held by his mommy.

And then I thought of how my Mother feels the same about me and all her other children. I broke out into HEAVY torrents of tears. My heart broke...it broke so hard that I practically heard it! And that's when I TRULY appreciated my mother...and really HATED myself. I had no idea of the kind of love my mother felt for me, so when I tried to say things to hurt her feelings as I felt she had hurt mine(so immaturely), there was no way for me to know just how much those words cut her. I had no idea. Then again, I do think that the love a mother has for her child is one that cannot be explained. It's magnitude can only be felt.

Needless to say, my mother is AMAZING. I think of everything she did for me when I was younger, and I'm overwhelmed at the thought of trying to live up it. I don't know how she did it. all I know is that I'm trying everyday to be more like her. I want my kids to know the kind of mother I was fortunate enough to know. I want them to love coming home to a clean house, a cooked meal. I want to make them clothes, and quilts. I want them to love when I make my mom's supo, or corned beef gravy that only mom knows how to make right. I want them to love coming home, because those are some of the things I love about coming home to my mom. I wish I had her work ethic, her creativity, her loving touch. I wish I had her strength, her control, her giving heart, her testimony. I want more than anything to be but half of what she is.

Happy Mommy day, mommy. I love you more than words can say, and I appreciate you even more than that. You truly are my hero and everything I aspire to be. Thank you for showing me the kind of Mommy I need to be for my kids. You are my best friend and I love how our relationship has grown so close. I can talk to you about anything and I cherish the talks we have together. i love you.

Happy Mothers day to all you other Mothers out there. Especially my sister, as this is her first...I know she'll be an incredible mommy. You've always had the biggest heart of all of us, and it really shows when I see you with your new baby. Thank you for loving my babies like they're your own. One of my greatest joys as a mom is when people love my babies. and you and Vaea LOVE my babies...and you have no idea what that means to me. You too, are my best friend.

And also to my sister in law Kristen, who I'd rather call sister, without the in law crap, because she really is my sister in so many ways. Thanks for showing me how to be a great mom. You have no idea how much I wish I had so many of your awesome qualities. Your kids are always so clean and well dressed. They're well behaved, and they love us...and I know that comes from their mom. You're so good about cooking for them, and making them things like the quilts and clothes. You're an awesome mom. Love you guys. :)

Happy Mothers day!

and the winner is...

2010-04-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

After a long four months of waiting, waiting and more waiting...and LOTS of stress...Manase was picked up as Oakland's first UDFA(Un-drafted Free Agent). We're excited but know not to get too comfortable yet. He still has to make the team come September. :) But in the meantime, thank you for all the kind words, warm embraces, and strong support. I know we couldn't make it very far without them.

We're excited to see what this NFL life has in store for us, and we have close friends who give awesome advice and never ending support. Manase has worked so hard up until this point, and that's one of the main reasons I married him, he's one of the hardest working men I know. More than anything, I was so glad to see the relief in his face and even a tear in his eye when he got the call, he could finally breath. It'll be a long 3 months until we head out there...and lots of hard work, but our hearts are full and our sights are set towards the stars. Wish us luck!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Baby shower and DISNEYLAND!!

2010-04-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

So my sister Anu is due any day now(she's only 36 weeks but already dilated 2 inches!!) so we planned a little family getaway to California last week. I was just gonna go with one of the babies and leave one with Manase for the weekend, but I convinced Manase to come with us. I figured we probably wouldn't have too much family alone time if things work out for us in the future, so we might as well enjoy each other and getaway before the storm of football stress hits again.

Her shower was super cute! My mom planned it and made all the invites and favors herself! I wish I was as crafty and she is. I loved all the adorable presents and even joked about taking some things for little Leila..haha. I'm so excited for my little niece to arrive...and I'm so excited to spoil her! We have beautiful girls in this family(I'm not biased at all) and I know she'll just follow the trend.

Manase and I bought tickets for Disneyland so we could take him, and my parents have seaons passes too. They had a special going that you could buy one day and come back to the other park another day for free! So Manase and I went early Monday morning to go on the "big kid" rides and my parents brought Semisi later that day. It was a blast..I thought I loved Disneyland before....but seeing the smile on my baby's face and how he lit up about EVERY five minutes...my heart melted. I wish we lived in California again so I could take them as often as we could.
I strongly suggest, if you ever get the chance, to take your kiddies to disneyland/world...there's nothing better than seeing them soooo ecstatic and full of wonder. It's like a drug! haha

Oh Mister Sun!

2010-03-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of the DECENT weather today and took the kiddies to the park. Semisi is a couple months older now than the last time he'd been to a park and he was loving it! He wouldn't even stop 5 seconds for me to capture any pictures. Leila, on the other hand, was not so impressed...understandably so I guess. I'm so excited for her to get older so they can run and play together. Love these fun little family moments!

Semisi def needs a brother

2010-03-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Poor Semisi, aside from his 5 month old cousin Micah, he is SURROUNDED by girls!! yes, nothing but Bow loving, purse carrying, high heel wearing, princess dress adoring, pink nail painted girls! He has two girl cousins, Sela and Sinalei who are his age and then there's Leila. Don't get me wrong, he is a boy through and through, from being OVERLY ROUGH, to playing football, even boxing! But yet, he sees the girls' bows and dresses and wonders why he can't wear them too? So tonight he threw a fit for me to do his hair like Leilas...so I humored him, just for kicks. His Dad wasn't too happy, but there's no harm done!
LoL...I'm totally gonna show these pictures to his little girlfriends when he's a teenager...what else are Moms for?? hahaha

Ear Piercing (duh duh duh)

2010-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

We did it! I finally pierced our baby's ears...I think it was more painful for me than it was for her...or maybe not. lol

I think they're ADORABLE!! At least I did once the guilt wore off. I swear, I've never seen so many disgusted, disapproving stares in one store...geez! Those people were acting like I was the only mother to ever pierce her daughter's ears despite her loud screams...maybe they had a point. :) She's far too young to remember the traumatic experience anyway!

*Beauty is pain...she's gotta learn young.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Alot has happened since I last posted, it's been a very hectic month and a half for my family, so I'll just try to write one or two points about everything that has happened that we've missed.

Dec 12- My brother Duke went to the temple for his living endowments in preparation for his mission. It was a beautiful session and nothing is like waiting in the Celestial room for a new family member to come through. LOVED IT

Dec 19- My sister Anuanu married her boyfriend of a year and a half Vaea Tauteoli. Love em so much...I wish nothing but the best for them and their new little family.

Dec 20-23 Las Vegas Bowl Oregon State vs BYU

We won! We defeated the beavers 44-20. It was an awesome game, sadly Manase's last game as a BYU cougar. They wore the Royal Blue jerseys and Manase scored 2 touchdowns! i was even on TV for a split second! haha We shall miss the good times but are looking forward to the future and what it holds.

Dec 25- This Christmas our WHOLE family spent together. It would be our last as a whole for another two years as my baby brother would be leaving on his mission in the Cape Verde Islands. It was a holiday filled with love and laughter. I LOVE being with my eternal family.

Dec 26- Family portraits...pictures coming soon!

Dec 30- We bid farewell to the baby boy in our family. We dropped Duke off at the MTC after breakfast at Dennys. just thinking about this days brings me to tears. I miss him dearly but I know he will be an incredible Elder and will bless the lives of many in Cape Verde.

(LATER THAT NIGHT)

Manase receives his invitation to the National Football League Scouting Combine. He is one of only 3 fullbacks to receive an invitation. We were very excited to hear this news.

Jan 1, 2010 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And the past month has been such a blur. Since Leila was born, Semisi gave up his crib for her and moved himself into our tiny queen sized bed rather than his intended sleeping place, the play pen. So we decided to convert our storage room into a big boy room for Semisi, equipped with a big boy bed and all. We'll be decorating it with all of his dad's BYU artifacts, posters, signed footballs, jerseys, etc. We've finished the painting, we're just putting last minute touches on the decor. i'll be sure to post a pic when we're done.

Next on the list...getting him to sleep in his own bed. Fearing the battle, we've procrastinated that day...but it will be coming in the near future! I have many plans for our little family as far as sleeping schedules, bed arrangements, etc. We'll see how all that goes down.

But we are so excited for 2010! As Ive said many times, 2009 was a hard year for us, and we know this one will be filled with many ups and downs as well, but it should be an exciting year nonetheless...

I need to write more but I have a screaming 4 month old on my lap begging for her breastmilk...and I can feel my body giving in...so here's to being better, the new year, and new schedules!

Goodnight...

Thanksgiving/It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

2009-12-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already December! This year seemed to fly right over my head! I hate how that happens.

First things first, for Thanksgiving this year we didn't do much. My Dad was flying into town on black Friday so my brother, sister, and I decided we'd rather not attempt to make thanksgiving dinner but just wait for my Dad to cook it for us when he came. So with no plans on Thanksgiving day itself, we decided at the last minute to go to the Unga's house for dinner. It was some great food, fun games, beautiful music, and good company!

My Dad made us our traditional Thanksgiving feast with turkey, his amazing stuffing, gravy, cranberries, and mashed potatoes. I wouldn't mind having my dad's thanksgiving cooking for the rest of my life!

While my dad was here, we set up our tree and Sela, Sinalei, and Micah were here to help. I love my yummy smelling christmas tree! We did the fake tree last year and I will NEVER do that again! There are some things I don't want to compromise on, no matter how much less of a hassle or how much cheaper it may be. I've always had a fresh tree growing up and I want my kids to have the same.

Semisi drove home to California with my dad and now it's Manase, Leila, and I. It's amazing how much smaller our family seems with one person missing! Granted, that one person is the life of the party, but you get my point. I miss my baby, but I'm loving how easy one baby is! Manase and I feel like we're a childless couple again! Leila's such a good little calm girl. We've gone to dinner twice this week, our good friend Sete Aulai's wedding, and even a movie! And she's been an angel through it all. I'm kind of glad we have some alone time to spend with our Leila and show her some special attention. Here's some fun pictures of our babygirl from this week so far!Hangin' out watching Mom and Dad eat at Chili's...just watched "The Blindside"

After Sete's wedding, waiting for our table at Outback Steakhouse

Getting ready for bed. I keep trying to catch a pic of her smiling, but she always stares at the camera like its a foreign object thats gonna eat her!

Sleeping soundly without her big brother around to wake her up.

On a side note, I've decided that she's old enough to have her hair tied back. Her hair was outta control and getting way too long to just let go free. I love the little pigtails! It makes her look like so much older! It kinda throws people off because she's so little but has a head of hair like a three year old! haha

BYU vs UofU 2009

2009-11-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

It was that time of year again! BYU won 26-23 in overtime for Manase's final game in Lavell Edwards stadium. It was a bittersweet day for our whole family. We worked hard to get back to BYU this year and it was worth every minute. I'm SOOOO glad we ended Manase's career on such a high note, not to mention it felt pretty good beating the Utes. :) We have one more bowl game left, but I must say...we will truly miss BYU Football. It makes me so sad to think that I will never go to another game at LES to watch my #11 play. It was so much fun while it lasted and we only have some exciting things coming up for us in the future!

2 Months

2009-11-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

Our little Leila is now 2 months old! Goodness how the time flies!
So far she...

*smiles on command
*talks nonstop...whether you're talking to her or not! Even if I'm yelling at the TV or talking to Manase, we'll suddenly hear her start chiming in. lol
*has become accustomed to nursing and REFUSES to take a bottle
*sleeps 12 hours a night (which Mommy LOVES!!)
*has learned to love her swing (another plus for mommy)
*has begun to know when you're paying attention to her and when you're not, and DEMANDS your attention
*she stops crying when she hears me walk in the room to pick her up
*STILL despises bathing. as soon as she feels the water, she screams like someone's killing her!
*holds her head up amazingly well! she can even sit in her bumbo already!
*every once in a while SHE LAUGHS! def my fave of the month...

She's our little "fie'ilo" or "nosy" girl. She always wants to be held sitting up so she can look around and see what everyone's doing. She likes to watch the colors on the tv and loves listening to music, just like her brother. She's definitely our little petite baby. We call her a pixie. Everything about her is tiny!(except her hefty appetite! I swear I don't know where it all goes!) It's new to us, as may of you remember Semisi was and still is a monster child! At her checkup she was 10.5lbs (36%), 23in (53%), and her head is 15.25 in (48%)...she sure is different from Semisi and all his 99% stats! But we love our little bug. She cracks me up everyday..she's such a little chatterbox. I can't wait until she can play with her big brother, and he can't seem to be able to wait either!

Leila

2009-10-05T18:03:00.001-07:00

I know this is super late...but the kids are sleeping and I was making my rounds...I thought I should document Leila's birth before I forget all the little details, at least for posterity. So, I'll start with a couple pictures and if you don't wanna read the rest...you don't have to.

Leila was originally due on September 19th but we knew she would probably be a little earlier than that. Actually, my doctor was surprised I even made it past 38 weeks. I was dialated 1+ cm at 35 weeks and by 38 I was nearly completely effaced and 3cm. Semisi had been staying with my parents in California for a couple weeks so I could get some rest and when I hit 39 weeks and still no baby, my mom decided to just drive here to Utah with Semisi and just wait for the baby to come. With Semisi, I called my mom when I knew I was in labor and she hopped on a plane to make it in time for delivery. Unfortunately, Semisi was a little impatient and I delivered him just as she pulled into the parking lot. I know, bummer huh. So with this pregnancy, obviously my mom didn't wanna miss it. She arrived here with Semisi and my brother Duke around midnight Sunday night. She also wanted to rush here because I have two nieces with LOTS of clothes so she had to bring all the clothes here from California. My SIL did such a good job of organizing and taking care of the clothes...i didnt really have to buy a thing! We just traded clothes since I was having my girl and she was having her boy.

So my mom and I stayed up putting all the clothes away and talking story. We went to bed around 130am and I felt fine. At 4:00am on the dot, I woke up with some discomfort that felt alot like a contraction. I turned over to see if the pain went away....it didn't..so I watched the clock to see if I got another one soon. At 4:05 I got another one. I was sure this was a contraction so I woke Manase up and told him I thought I might be in labor. In his true fashion...he mumbled something and turned over and went back to sleep. (lol) I went to the bathroom to see if I was bleeding, check. Knowing how fast Semisi's labor was (roughly 6 hours) I knew this one would probably be faster so I didn't bother waiting an hour to make sure I was in labor. I woke up my mom, took a shower, and got ready to head to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital and got checked in. I guess the nurses didn't think I was in very intense labor because I was all smiles and didn't appear to be in much pain(which I WAS) so they took their time coming in to check me. I was SET on getting an epidural so I was kinda hoping they would hurry before it was too late to get one. Even my mom was saying "hopefully we dont get sent home." to which I replied "Nope, I know my body. I don't have false labor...I don't get sent home." After waiting ten minutes for the nurse to come in and get me hooked up(which felt like an eternity!!) the finally checked me and I was 7 1/2cm dialated already. I knew it! Surprised, they said I didn't LOOK like i was in that much pain. I don't know, maybe I hide it well, but I felt like I was dying. I think people are thrown off because for me, the contractions bring such an intense pain for those couple minutes, that in between...I'm in a really good mood just because I'm not in that pain. I was carrying on conversations and laughing and smiling, then I just dug my head into the pillow with each contraction.

So after seeing how quickly I was progressing four more nurses rushed in to help me get set up. The Dr came in around 530 to see that I was dialated to 8 already. He broke my water and ordered my epidural. With Semisi, the anesthesiologist was late due to being in the OR so they gave me a shot to help curb the pain. So when I received my epidural this time, it hurt a little more than I remembered but it was worth it! I was in heaven after that. I totally respect women who want to and do deliver their babies naturally...more power to ya. I wish I had the stamina to do it...but I don't. And no offense to anyone else or their opinions...but I honestly had ZERO desire to try it naturally. My mom kept saying..."you could handle it to 8cm...you could have done it without the meds" but again...i have no desire to try. Just like I have no desire to have a root canal without meds. I trust todays technology and I trust that the DR would not put anything in my body that would hurt me or the baby. I loved it...I wasn't "drugged up" or "groggy" when she came out...as most people try to say you will be if you get meds. I was completely conscious of everything going on just without the pain. It might not work for everyone..but it worked for me.

Anyway...sorry for the rant...the next hour was great. I was fully dialaterd by 6:40 ish so the DR decided we should try pushing. I pushed through one contraction(about two long 10 second pushes) and voila! She was here!

Leila Lata 'i Lomoloma Tonga arrived at 6:46am on the morning of September 14, 2009. She weighed in at 7lbs 1oz (a wee little baby) and 19 1/2 inches long. She had a head FULL of hair and some healthy lungs. The nurse who was cleaning her was so put off by her screams that she stepped back and said "I don't know what I did to make her so mad!" She had a temper from the get go. Semisi was in the waiting room with Duke so we brought him in to meet her right away. He has a teddy bear who he cuddles so, thinking she was a doll, he insisted on hugging her and kissing her. It was so adorable.

We named her Leila Lata 'i Lomoloma after Manase's cousin who passed away in early 2006. We wanted to honor Leila's mother, Manase's aunt Mele who was the only member of Manase's family to attend our wedding. She is such a kind, humble woman who will always hold a very special place in my heart. I want Leila to grow up very close to this woman and follow her example.

Leila and I were in the hospital two nights and came home on Wednesday morning. On Monday, I noticed that Semisi felt a little warm so they went home. That night, my mom says he had a fever of 103 that would not break until morning. He had a fever all week that week, and we had many visits to the Dr. Turns out he had Bronchilitis and his molars were coming in and an ingrown toenail(causing great discomfort) and a bugbite that had contracted something called Merza(a type of staff infection that is very stubborn and almost impossible to treat). WOW! Poor kid. All that AND his mommy is carrying around another baby when he needed to be baby'd more than ever. Thank goodness my mom was here to help with him.

Today she is 3 weeks old and has brought so much more love into our home. Semisi for the most part loves his little sister so much. He knows her name and runs over to kiss her whenever she cries. We haven't seen too much of the jealousy but I think that's because he still gets most of my attention what with Leila sleeping most of the day. Im interested to see how it goes when she starts demanding attention. She's such a good baby and eats nonstop! She does get easily annoyed by her loud brother...but thats to be expected.

So far I'm handling the load better than I thought I would. Manase is gone 12-13 hours a day so it's mostly me and the kids...but my sister Anu and her bf Vaea help so much. Anu sleeps with Semisi when Manase goes away on the weekends, and Vaea takes him to the park and plays with him all the time. I love being a mother of two. I'm so excited to see more and more of Leila's personality and the bond they begin to grow through the years.

My Baby Turns 1!

2009-08-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Manase and I didn't really want to do a HUGE party for Semisi's birthday...so we figured a small bbq with our immediate families and friends would suffice...needless to say...with Semisi beig the first grandchild on one side and the first grandson on the other...the grandparents went all out for this one. To make a long story short...we had fun day filled with friends and family and good food!!

Unfortunately, I didn't realize until AFTER the party was over that maybe I should have taken some pictures BEFORE the guests got there, at least for posterity's sake.

We went with the Thomas the Train theme...it was kind of random but we mostly picked it because of the colors and ended up loving it because there were endless amounts of Thomas themed party ideas!

For the center pieces we made a railroad going down the center of the tables with black construction paper. My mom got a bunch of different toy trains to place on the tracks and we had LOTS of balloons weighed down by paper bags with pictures of Semisi on them.

The favors matched the invites which my mom and I made by hand (she's a stampin up fan). The boys' matched the party...but the girls' favors were pink...but I couldn't resist deviating from my theme...those purses were adorable!! And really easy to make.

The cake was from my NEW FAVORITE BAKERY. It's called The Sweet Tooth Fairy and it's on University Ave across from Provo Towne Center right next to Quilted Bear. If you ever have a sweets craving...I HIGHLY recommend their cupcakes...especially the toasted coconut and strawberry shortcake(the frosting tastes like real strawberries!) and the black and white..I guess they're ALL delicious! haha

AGAIN, I wish I had taken more pictures of all the hard work we put into it...but it's okay. It was definitely a success and we made so many memories! Thank you to everyone who came to help us celebrate our little man's first year. We are so blessed with such great and supportive family and friends!

Baby's 1st Steps

2009-06-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Slow Down!

2009-06-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the pictures on our computer today...trying to brainstorm for Father's Day gift ideas...and I found myself getting choked up at how much has happened in this past year. Semisi will be a year old at the end of next month...and thinking about being pregnant last year with just Manase and I in the house, it seems like eternities ago! It's so hard to remember life before this little ball of fat consumed it...much less imagining life without him! Some days I wish he would just stop growing and freeze just the way he is...

1 day old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

Graduation time!

2009-06-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

These past couple weeks have been really busy for our family...I guess not THAT busy...but busier than usual. The last weekend of May both my brother Duke and Manase's brother Sifa were graduating from high school so we had to split up. Manase went to the bay and Semisi and I went to So Cal. It was kind of sad that we couldn't all make it to either one but we did what we could. Duke ended up having a rugby tournament in the Bay that weekend so my mom and I drove up with Semisi to watch Duke and to give Manase's family a chance to see Semisi. I was supposed to come home from there with Manase but the baby and I ended up driving back to LA with my mom because I had to work on some things for Semisi's 1st Birthday.

My mom has been totally into Stampin Up! lately so she thought we should make the invitations for the party with all the stuff she's collected over the last couple months. So we picked out some paper and stamps...and I must say, for someone who's never made anything by hand...I'm rather proud of what we did! I'd give you all a preview but you can just wait until you one in the mail. :)

We got home last Monday only for Semisi to come down with a fever of 104 that refused to come down. So we had to take him to the ER(after reading Mary's blog about Kina, I was PARANOID the same would happen to him). It turned out it was due to a bug bite that got infected so with the help of antibiotics, he's back to his old tricks again. :)

Now I'm just trying to look around for a bakery that would make cute cakes for the birthday...so if anyone has suggestions it would help a ton. Manase is working at Nu Skin until fall camp so Semisi and I are just hanging out together trying to get ready for his little sister's arrival. He's started this new habit of sleeping in everyday..which makes his pregnant mommy VERY happy. But when I say sleeping in, I'm talking until about noon! Or like today, he woke up around 11, ate a bottle and went right back to sleep until almost 3! Should I be worried? I woke him up the other day because I figured that this much sleep can't be healthy, but he just screamed until I finally let him go back to sleep. Oh well, it may be a phase...or he could just be his Mother's son...haha

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish all those mommy's out there a very HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! This was my first Mom's day and I was pretty much a blubbering fool all day long. I'm glad that in our deteriorating society we still take time out of the year to acknowledge Mothers and their impact not only on our own lives, but in the world. My mom was in Aussie for the holiday but I had alot of time to reflect on her, and my Grandmothers. I am so grateful for the mothers in my life, and I know it is truly a calling set apart for us by our Heavenly Father. It really is the only way we could ever know unconditional love. So here's to all those mommy's out there, thanks for everything you do! It takes an amazing woman to be a Mom.

Here's a quote I stole from Jenny's page that really hit me hard...

"You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms."
–Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Mother's Day!

Our Late Bloomer

2009-05-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

So Semisi seems to have been a little bit of a late bloomer, but we just think it's because he has a lot of weight to carry around(about 30 pounds worth). He's just learned to crawl, or scoot rather, and just BARELY got his first tooth...immediately followed by his second tooth. Oh well, better late than never! I don't mind if he takes a while to learn to walk, I'm not ready to chase him around yet. He's gonna be hell on wheels, I know it.

Hawaii Nei

2009-05-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a spontaneous vacation right? So Semisi had been in California visiting my parents for about a week and so I had to go pick him up. When I got there, my Dad said he had found a killer airfare to Hawaii so he booked a ticket...I asked when and how much...and to make a long story short...I bought two tickets to Hawaii that left four days later...and at an UNHEARD of price.

Semisi and I left from LA on Tuesday April 28th with my Dad, Jared, Kristen and their two girls. Manase still had finals until Wednesday so he finished his last one Wed morning, hopped on a flight to LA, took his flight from LA early Thursday morning, lay over in SLC, and then finally landed in Honolulu. (That was the cheapest flight we could find for thursday)

We spent a whole RELAXING week in Hawaii and I think it was worth every penny! Our next baby will be coming soon so it was nice to have our own getaway with Semisi while he's still the only child. Also, it's been a very stressful semester for our little family...actually the whole past year has been hectic, so it felt awesome to celebrate the end of the semester and Manase's going back to BYU.

Manase hadn't been to HI since he was young, so I had fun showing him around where I grew up. We visited my parents' house in Mililani...and tried to convince him that maybe one day we could live there...I think he likes the idea. We visited my school, my favorite beaches that I spent the majority of my younger years at, and we even did the whole PCC thing.

The3 little babies at Kapiolani park for May Day

Cruising Waikiki. He would go crazy when the wind would blow on his face.

Daddy and Semisi playing in front of China Man's Hat

Me and my baby at Sand Island Beach with Diamond Head in the background.

So now it's back to Utah, the summer, and getting ready for our newest Tonga.

It's a girl!!

2009-04-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

So I completely procrastinated going to the doctor with this pregnancy...mostly due to my denial. When I finally decided it was time, we heard the baby's heartbeat at that first appointment. I'm sure that other mothers of multiple children can relate when I say that I never thought anyone could ever come close to how much I love Semisi...but this was love at first thump! We had our ultrasound last week and found out we're having a BABY GIRL!! I'm sooooo excited! I was worried because I felt like Semisi didn't get enough time being the special only child, but this makes me happy because he'll still be my little prince, and we're just adding a little princess to the bunch! I have two nieces who I ADORE, girls are so much fun, so I'm so psyched for our little girl to get here.
I'm just so much more excited about everything we've experienced so far in this pregnancy. I think that with Semisi it was all new and fast and I didn't quite know how to take it all in. But now that we've seen him go from the weird alien kicks to the fatty he is now...we can see well into her future and we know what to expect. The ability to create life truly is one of the best blessings Heavenly Father could share with us...Good news! I JUST found our camera charger in a suitcase that was packed away, so I should be updating a little more often, now that I'll have pictures and videos to upload. I don't have any now, because Semisi is in California with his grandparents...but I'll be sure to post more often! Sorry...I'm such a slacker, I know! I'll be better I promise.

Lose's Wedding/A Time for change

2009-03-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my cousin Losehina got married in the Mesa, AZ temple. Anuanu and I were in her line so we went down a week early to help her get everything together. Lose is my first cousin. Our mother's are sisters so we've been close all our lives. It was so much fun to see my cousin get married in the temple and to see her so happy! I have TONS of first cousins on my mom's side(like most polynesians, I'm sure) and most of them are girls, so there's never a dull moment when we all get together. Here's a couple pictures from the wedding.

Stuart and Losehina Aetonu

Lose with her bridesmaids

Lose's older sister Finau passed away back in 2001 at the age of 17. She was my closest friend and cousin. So we decided to visit her grave with the wedding party to take pictures. It really was bittersweet for all of us.

Anuanu and me with our nieces Meleseini and Sala and our nephew Sekope.

My sisters

My family just missing Jared(man, I guess I really am short right? hahaha)

So as you might be able to see from the pictures, I also decided to chop my hair off. A couple nights before I left to AZ I had what I like to refer to as a "Revelation" that I needed to cut my hair. I had taken my hair down to braid when I was watching Semisi one night and he looked at me like I was a stranger! He was fascinated by this new and exciting substance that had suddenly sprouted from my head. He was touching it and laughing as if he'd never seen hair before! At least not on me. And then the thought occurred to me that I had pretty much had my hair in a bun since the day he was born. That was when I decided that I would chop it off. I figured if I cut it short enough to where I couldn't manage a bun, that I would make more of an effort to actually style it. And being short it would be alot EASIER to style. So I did it. It's never been this short in my life, but I figure it's just hair; it'll grow back right? And I feel like I look a little more like a mom and more my age. I like it. I might even think about going a little shorter...gasp...maybe not. haha

My Funny Valentine/ Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

So every year as February rolls around most are reminded of the festivities of Valentine's day that are looming just around the corner. Most women look forward to it and men probably dread it. Growing up, I always wanted to be special on my birthday, February 14 and I couldn't stand that every other girl around me seemed to be just as special, or at least treated that way, on MY birthday. I hated it. As the years rolled by, I began to target my bitterness at the holiday itself. Eventually I began HATING valentine's day and every hint of it. I hated that I had to plan my birthday dinner weeks, sometimes months in advance. I hated that when we would eat out, all sorts of women around me were getting roses and candles and all I would get was an embarrassing rendition of "happy birthday" that only seemed to annoy everyone else in the room. Lately though, I've come to terms with it. I guess of all the holidays to have your birthday on, it could be worse. Lucky for my husband, that two dates in one to remember...and he actually tried to sell me the idea of getting married on February 14 just so he would only have to remember one date in all. Of course I couldn't make it that easy on him...so we ended up getting married on July 7...7/7/07...as if thats not easy enough to remember right? But I've learned to love valentine's day. And if anything, it's two in one, so Manase tries to make it even that much more special. So I get twice as much on my birthday and twice as much for valentine's. I guess I'll take it. :)

So this year I turned 24(bleck). Manase woke up with Semisi so I could sleep in, which is the best present I could ask for. I LOVE my sleep. He had arranged for my sister Anu to babysit Semisi for the weekend and we packed our things and drove out to Park City. Manase had arranged for us to stay in a suite in Park City for two nights at the Yarrow Resort. When we got there we went to dinner at a yummy Italian(my fave) restaraunt on Main Street. Our room had a kitchenette so we stopped at the store and got snacks like hot chocolate and french bread, etc. The next day we went to the outlets they have out there...Manase got two new pairs of shoes from Nike(an early birthday present for him, his birthday is on the 28th) and Manase bought me a Coach purse to add to my collection and I love it!! That night we ate Sushi(my other fave) and went to a movie.

All in all I had an INCREDIBLE birthday and Valentine's. Thank goodness for my amazing sister for babysitting. I enjoyed the break but I did miss my baby Semisi way too much. I'm way too blessed...I think I must have done something right somewhere along the line to be surrounded by so much love. :)

And Semisi managed to get a present too! It was more of a present for Mommy and Daddy though...nice distraction. (sorry there aren't any pictures, I seemed to have misplaced my camera charger)

Playing Catch-up

2009-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

So I've REALLY been lagging on the whole blogging thing lately, as most everyone else has as well so I don't feel so bad. There are lots of reasons for that...a huge one being that I'm just really lazy about taking pictures and putting them on my computer. My camera is full of pictures from the past few months...I just hate playing the whole catch up game. But probably the BIGGEST reason for my laziness would have to be the unexpected surprise Manase and I received last month.
Yep...we're pregnant...AGAIN. Around mid-December I was on my birth control but one day woke up feeling a little "different". I remember actually telling Manase that I felt like I might be pregnant so just to be safe, I stopped taking my bc and after a couple days of denial, I finally took a test..which turned out positive. So four tests and a month later, I've decided to finally come out with it, which is what I've been hesitant to do because announcing it would somehow make it "real". Granted, we are glad to be expecting yet another blessing into our family...but I can't help but be a little embarrassed at how close my kids will be, and concerned about our financial situation. Lately I've had to really rely on my faith that if we do our part, the Lord will provide. My biggest problem is that I feel like my Semisi didn't get enough time with us, or to be the golden child. But on the other hand, I'm glad he'll have a little brother or sister close to his age. I'm due on September 11,2009 so I figured at least they will be more than a year apart, which I teased my brother about because his girls are five days short of being a year apart...hahaha. But yes, there's another little Tonga in the making...next football season shoud be interesting....hahaha. Last time Manase played at BYU we had no kids and he's coming back with two...lol. Anyways, I don't remember being this sick with Semisi, so at this point I'm just ready for the sucky part to be over already....three weeks of hell to go...and counting...

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Today is my beautiful mom's birthday and even though she probably won't see this I just wanted to take a minute to just express my love and appreciation for this extraordinary woman. She truly is the ultimate example of everything I want to be one day. She's so talented and giving...and though she has her own unique way of showing it, a VERY loving woman. She's such an incredible mother and I can only wish that I can someday be even half the mother/grandmother/daughter/wife/sister that she is. She's also my best friend, I can talk to her about anything and I know she'll always tell me exactly how it is, even if it's the last thing I might want to hear, but I guess that's what Mom's are supposed to do. I'm finding it so difficult to put into words all the emotions floating around in my head right now...so I guess I'll just leave it at that....Happy Birthday Mommy! I love you so much! Here's to many more years to come!

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Semisi had a photo shoot with his cousins Sela and Sinalei. He seemes to be the only one of the three who wanted to cooperate so we got some really good pictures of him. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Picking out a Tree

2008-12-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

Hangin' with Uncle Duke

My niece Sinalei

Picking out a tree!

Mom and Son

My niece Princess Sela

With Grandma

Semisi playing with his cousin Sinalei

My family has a tradition of going to the tree farm the day after Thanksgiving. We pick out a tree and come back later to pick it up. While we were home we got to go to the tree farm with family. I guess they had picked out the tree earlier so we just went with them to pick it up. We cleaned it and decorated it. It was fun family time!

Family Photos

2008-12-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Michael and Michael Semisi

hey...better late than never!! In my defense, all the pictures from the weekend are on my parents' computer in OC and I can't post a blog about family pictures without the family pictures! So obviously we went to my parents' place in Southern California for the holiday. It was good fun, Dad's home cooking is still my favorite! We took the long drive down there for the holiday and my mom had also scheduled our family portraits...which we were all completely depressed by, considering the CONSIDERABLE weight gain on the part of at least half the members of our family. Let's just say that our last family portrait was 3 grandkids, 2 spouses, 6 years, and ??? pounds ago! I think it's obvious that I personally preferred we airbrush the spouses and babies into the old "skinny" pictures. lol So here they are...and I WOULD post the last portrait...but then the difference would be even more obvious! no way jose....so here goes..don't be too cruel.

Our Little Family

My Rogers Family

Our Entire Family!

The Rogers' Girls

The Rogers' Guys

Grandparents and Grandbabies

My brother Jared, his wife Kristen, and Sela and Sinalei

So as usual, being home with my family was too short...and I miss them too much! I can't wait until we move back home..or until Jared and the girls move here to Utah in June. We're way too dependent on each other. hahaha Growing up, we were just a little sheltered. I have nothing but incredible memories with my brothers and sisters growing up. We're all super ridiculous homebodies but it's nice that we all have that in common, I guess. Growing up, the only friends we were allowed to play with at home were each other. I hated it then, but I love it now. We're all best friends and spend most of our time together sitting at home and laughing our tails off! I have more inside jokes with my siblings than all of my friends combined. Love 'em!

A letter from Manase

2008-11-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Mary gave an awesome lesson in Relief Society a couple weeks ago about how to strengthen our marriages as well as other relationships. It was about the letters that Joseph Smith would write to Emma while he was away on business. She read a cute little letter that Wayne had written her while they were dating...and then Ula posted a letter of her own...and then tagged me to do the same. I don't have very much evidence of Manase expressing his feelings on paper because my husband, like may others I'm sure, isn't the best at saying how he feels. So I tend to cherish the rare moments where he actually does try to express something. This card is from Valentine's Day of this year when I was still pregnant...

Get ready...it's a little lengthy...hahaha

The card says:

For my Wife, My Friend, My Love...
I want to thank you
for everything you are to me...
and let you know
the I love the life we share.

Happy Valentine's Day

Okay so the card was a little generic...but what he wrote is the cute part.

Happy Birthday!!
So here is what happened. I was in Biology and I couldn't stop thinking about you (as always) so this thought came into my mind..."What kind of man do I want to be?" After thousands of examples I came to this conclusion --->>

I want to be the man of your dreams,
So irresistible like crack to a fiend.
Your Brad Pitt, Your Edward Cullen, your manliest man,
The one who can melt in the palm of your hand.
The one that you elbow, punch, and bite,
Who will make your saimini in the middle of the night.
The one who will lay with you 'til you wake up,
Who frustrates you, fights with you just to make up.
I want to shout out "I LOVE YOU!" when on TV,
So I throw up the "L" after every TD.
I can't begin to express how much you mean to me,
You're the greatest blessing that I've ever received.
So I thank you and I love you for letting me
Be the kind of man I want to be.

I LOVE YOU!

Who would have thought?...Manase the poet! hahaha He's so cute..I have another little excerpt from when we were dating. It's one of my favorites so I just wanted to include it as well...

If my love for you was like a football,
I'd never let you go.
I'll hold you tightly in my arms
And to the endzone we will go.
If, God forbid, I lose you,
lets just hope that not how it ends,
I'll fight, I'll scream do all I can
To get you back into MY hands!

I thought that poem was adorable! He'll probably kill me when he finds out I posted these but oh well.

I am a big fan of writing letters and keeping journals. We live in an age with so much technology that no one ever really takes the time to sit down and write a note to someone...even if it's just to show appreciation. There's nothing I love more than a "just because" note or gift. It's a nice reminder that someone was thinking of you. I love the idea of expressing your love, gratitude, thoughts, etc not because it's a birthday or holiday...but just because you were thinking of them.

So...do you have a letter, note, experience, card you would like to share?? It can be regarding your Husband, child, anyone!

6 Random Facts (tagged by Kristen)

2008-11-16T00:33:00.000-08:00

1. Link this post to the person who tagged you: My SIL Kristen!
2. Post the rules on your blog (SEE!)
3. List 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1. I can nearly quote, word-for-word, the entire length of the movies "Dumb and Dumber" and "Ace Ventura" and "The Little Mermaid"
2. I absolutely LOVE to sing and play piano...just not in public...or in front of people I don't know.
3. I played the Clarinet for two years in Middle School.
4. I, like kristen, have what she calls a "tender heart"...my family more lovingly termed me the "emotional wreck" of our family. lol I think I literally cry on cue, which was the source of much entertainment for my brother growing up(he got a kick out of teasing me) and grief and embarrassment for me. Whenever we would have "intense" conversations in my family, I would start crying and everyone would get mad at me for crying and I would get SO FRUSTRATED because I couldn't control it and my nose turns Rudolph red! Every emotion I experience seems to be expressed through tears. haha
5. My little brother and sisters grew up on Barney...and I would watch the show with them..so I know pretty much EVERY Barney song from 95-2000 by heart! And I often enjoy singing them too..hahaha
6. I worked backstage at the American Music Awards when I was 16-18. And I've met and rubbed elbows with pretty much every music celebrity you can name. (or atleast that was around in 2001, 2002, and 2003.)

And I tag: Ula, Mary, Line, Ipo, Vika, and Kassie

Anuanu's 20th birthday

2008-11-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Anuanu's birthday was yesterday but we had a couple days of celebration for her conclusion of her teen years and the dawn of her twenties! First off, my dad had a business trip to Idaho falls but he opted to fly into SLC to spend one night with us before driving up to Idaho. On Saturday night we all went out to Benihana's, and as usual the food was awesome!

Yesterday for her birthday, being the poor struggling college students that we are, we opted to just go eat at Beto's or Rancherito's I guess, followed by a round of pool(Anuanu, Manase, and my favorite past time these days). We ended up just talking story after we ate for a couple of hours so we never made it to the poolhall. When we got home, I baked Anuanu a cake and we had way more fun than anyone our age should have decorating a birthday cake. hahaha

For those of you who aren't familiar with Anuanu, she's my sister. I am 4 years her senior, believe it or not, but she's more like my best friend. I think she's a couple years mature for her age and I'm a couple years behind, so our minds meet somewhere in the middle. hahaha. She's been living with Manase and I since we were married, and I guess now we're more living with her than she is with us. I absolutely adore her! We're alike in so many ways, yet exact opposites in other ways. She truly is beautiful inside and out and I would do anything for her. it's so amazing to have a sister and a best friend in one! *Happy Birthday Anuanu! I love you to death! Here's to many more sleepless night full of talking story, tears, and laughter. :D

Halloween

2008-11-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

As I had mentioned in the last post, we went to Salt Lake on Halloween to go Trick-or-treating with the Amasio's. It was so much fun! The kids had the CUTEST little costumes and we got plenty of candy. I really enjoyed getting a chance to walk around outside and the weather was BEAUTIFUL. It was about 75 degrees well after dark! Which is unheard of in Utah the last day of October. So it wasn't too cold for Semisi to tag along with the kids. We always enjoy some quality time with the Amasio's!

Solomone and Semisi

Milika(10 mos) and Semisi(3 mos)

Milika, Lolohea, Sina, Solomone, and Semisi

Photo shoots

2008-10-30T15:40:00.001-07:00

So Anuanu just got around to uploading some of the pictures we had on camera along with a little photo shoot she had with Semisi last night. I though I would post some. I still haven't quite figured out how this site works...I guess I'll just have to explore it a little bit more. All smiles!!

Chunky legs

In his Pimp hat

Vogue

Semisi turned 3 months yesterday and although those months have seemed to have gone by so fast, it's hard to remember what life was like before we had him! He's growing so much everyday. Now he laughs and talks(or tries, rather) when you talk to him. Sometimes we'll be having a conversation and he'll try to talk over us. I think we may have a little chatter box on our hands here. My parents say he got that from me, I have no idea what they're talking about...anyone who knows me knows I'm EXTREMELY shy. ;) He's such a good little baby. He's just started sleeping through the night, which is about 12am-6am but some nights he'll sleep up to twelve hours! I LOVE him on those nights...hahaha. He eats A TON and it's getting a little costly keeping up with him, but I guess he's just a growing boy!

Manase works 7am-3:30pm while I'm at home with Semisi and then I work from 5pm-10pm so the boys can spend time together. Manase offered to get a second job but I feel it's really important for Manase to have time to bond with Semisi. Besides, I enjoy the time out of the house and the opportunity I get to interact with other adults. Every Satur day Semisi and Manase get comfy in front of the TV for the BYU games. It's so adorable. He actually sits through the entire game! It's going to be so much fun taking him to the games next year for Manase's senior season.

Halloween is tomorrow and Semisi is going to be a Monster. I'm thinking about taking him to Salt Lake to go trick or treating with Lloyd's kids. We'll see. I should probably call Kristi first...haha...

Like I mentioned, Semisi is growing like a weed! And everytime I have to pack clothes away t hat he's outgrown, there's a little part of me that gets really sad. I may sound like a crazy person, but I can't wait to have another one!! I WON'T, for obvious reasons, but I have a feeling I'm gonna end up having a HUGE family. But I have no issue waiting at least a year, I've seen what it can be like having them too close together (thanks to Jared and Kristen). But we're already planning out when we'll start trying for the next little chunker.

Other than that, we're just preparing for the winter ahead. Semisi is well prepared, thanks to Grandma!! She bought all the winter clothes he'll need so hopefully he doesn't grow TOO MUCH before the winter ends.

Other news, last Saturday Anuanu, Manase, and I went to a concert to support our good friends Pati and Junior Maile and the Qoro twins. They sang at a benefit concert. Semisi spent some time with Aunty Nia and Uncle Vili. It was so much fun! The guys sang some great songs and Vaea was such an AWESOME bass player! lol.

Pati and his FAVORITE back-up singers

An Oldie picture re-enacted

Welcome to Fiji!

Life is incredible with our little family!

New to this...

2008-10-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

So I've known about this blogspot thing for a while but I never really felt like I knew enough people to really go through the trouble of making one for myself. I recently discovered that my sisters-in-law both have one so I thought that might be enough close contacts to at least try starting a page of my own...then I can add other people I know. And then last night I wa just browsing through a bunch of people's pages and found that I actually know quite a few people who have a blogspot page! So here we are. Let's see...I'll just skip the intros and start from now...

We had Semisi's blessing this past weekend and it went wonderfully! Manase's parents and sister managed to make it out, but his brothers got stuck in California, unable to catch a flight. We missed them, but I know it was killing them too that they couldn't be here for the get together. My whole family came down except for Kristen and Sinalei and we missed them SOOOO much! But it's okay, maybe next time. Lani, Sarah, and Chloe, along with Lilio and Sina made the LOOOONG trek from California for the occasion as well. We were so glad to see them.

We started out with a kai on Saturday which was so fun after quite a bit of stress that I won't even begin to go into. There was plenty of food and everyone had plenty to eat. I really enjoyed having both of our families there for Semisi. I'm so grateful to my family as well as Manase's for everything they have done for our son. We really do have the best of both worlds. Manase's family bought the little white tuxedo and brought the BEAUTIFUL hand-made kahoa for him to wear.

Manase did an awesome job blessing Semisi. After church we had another eating courtesy of my favorite chef in all the world...my dad!! He rules...he seriously cooked a five course meal all by himself! I swear, it was equivalent to how much we usually have for thanksgiving. I love my dad to death...and just cuz I'm so grateful to him...i might call Semisi by his first name "Michael" every once in a while. :)

After we finished eating, we all let our food sit for awhile before heading over to Salt Lake to catch Lilio and Tali's homecoming fireside. In true Amasio fashion, we showed up just as they were announcing the closing prayer...just in time to mingle and then leave...lol. But it was nice seeing all of our family.

The worst part about having big family get-togethers is seeing them all leave. Especially in our little condo. It gets so crowded and busy around here when my family comes into town, and then when they leave it feels like Ghosttown around here with just the three of us. Anyway, I'm already making plans for the next time I get to see the family again...Thanksgiving!! I had to stay here in Utah last year for Thanksgiving and being the first one I experienced away from my family and my Dad's cooking...to put it lightly...I was MISERABLE. But until then, I'll just have to spend hours perusing through pictures of them...especially my ADORABLE NIECES who I miss way too much.

a couple more memories from the weekend.All my family!Semisi with Grandma and PapaI love my sisters!!Lolohea si'i, Anuanu, Sarah, me
Wow....I have nothing to say...the picture says it all..lol