Aiono Family

"I Did It!"

2011-12-28T10:38:00.002-07:00

This morning as I was combing my hair for work, Leila came out of her room and stood by the bathroom door watching me. After telling me that "Kitty was scared" (since everything is SCARED right now) I asked if she wanted to sit on the potty?

"Yeah" (all calm like...)

So I sit her on the potty while I continue combing my hair. A few minutes later, there was a little tinkle in the potty. She looks at me and says quietly, but with excitement in her eyes "I did it!" She got some toilet paper, wiped her body, jumped off, flushed the toilet, then went to lay down to put a new diaper on. She acts like this is an old habit already.

Let's HOPE this is the start of something wonderful!

Hank and Darla

2011-12-22T15:32:00.003-07:00

When Shawn and his family were in Utah, the other half of their family stayed in my parents backyard. Darla is the Bull Mastiff on the left and Hank is the Boxer on the right. They are both pretty awesome dogs in their own rights.

Anyway, Leila LOVES dogs. However, she is also allergic to them (which means we will never have to own one!) Her babysitter has a dog and our neighbors have a dog. That will be good enough. So, you THINK, she should be scared of these large dogs. NOPE. Not at all. In fact, I think she is less scared of them than Kiley is (who lives with them!)

EVERY day she wanted to feed them. Often times, that is how we would get her do quit crying or to do something she was asked...by bribing her that she could feed the dogs. It was great. The dogs are gone. No more dog bribes. But she still talks about them frequently. Isn't she the cutest snot ever?

Darla is UP IN HER FACE. Not scared. She LOVED it.

When Shawn and Michelle loaded up to go, (Kiley stayed for a few days and flew out there with Grandma Ford) it was sad to see them go. It was so fun to have them visit for an extended stay. It was also sad to see the dogs go, just because I know how happy they made Leila.

I hear the argument ALL the time that Leila would love to have her own dog. Again, the babysitter has one and the neighbors have one. THOSE dogs are already cared for without my help. That sounds good to me!

Update...

2011-12-22T15:08:00.006-07:00

I love to read blogs. I love to have my blog updated. I hate to factor in time to do it. Sorry.

When Shawn and his family were in the process of moving from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast, they stayed at my parents for about two weeks. The Saturday before Halloween, we went to Wheeler Farm. That place is pretty cool...if you have kids who are excited about farm animals. I loved these pictures on the tractor. Leila did not seem to be too scared by the animals.

She walked right up to every fence and just stared. She also loved to watch the ducks/geese. ESPECIALLY when she figured out that if grandpa or daddy held her, she could sit on the fence. We watched the birds for quite a while. We started to walk to the little Country Store to get a drink. Leila was running behind Kuso, and ahead of me. She tripped on a tree root and face planted. Hard. Like hard enough that Troy and Kuso HEARD her face plant. On the dirt. MOST times when she falls, she hops up and says "bing" then keeps going. Not this time. I was right behind her and when I picked her up, she was bloody. I think her top lip was cut from the inside from hitting against her teeth and her top teeth bit through the lower lip. BOTH lips were cracked and bleeding. There was a VERY brief moment when Kuso asked if we should take her to the hospital (in Samoan language that doesn't necessarily mean the emergency room...just to get checked by a doctor.) But we got some napkins and got her cleaned up. She cried and screamed and cried and screamed until grandpa bought food to feed the ducks.

He said "Wanna go feed the ducks"

"Yep." Done crying.

The next few days she would mention "my mouth hurts." But that has been the most dangerous injury she's had so far. As awesome as it would be for this to be the last time she gets hurt, I'm sure we'll have more experiencing healing wounds.Feeding the ducks AFTER the fall. Still content and happy.

But, as seen below, she clearly did not learn to not run because she and Kiley ran down this path. I love it.

Papa and his girls.

(Leila is playing "Find Leila!")

I think I'll try and take Leila back to the farm in the spring when there are some baby animals. AND it's got some cool places to take some pictures when we are ready to tackle that at some point.

Community Service at it's Finest.

2011-11-23T11:44:00.002-07:00

My little (although I've been told by others to refer to him as my younger brother as he is much taller than myself) brother Shawn single handedly helped reduce the homeless population in North Carolina. He fed the homeless. He did their laundry. He helped them find showers. Provided a temporary roof over their heads. He found them a place to live.

Shawn was recently transferred with the Marines to North Carolina. As he, Michelle, and Kiley packed up their lives in California to head to the other ocean, their lives were uncertain at best. They did not know if they would have military base housing available, and wouldn't know until they got to North Carolina. They did not know how much time they would have to look for somewhere to live IF base housing wasn't available. They did not know if or how long they would be able to stay in temporary military housing while they found something long term. SO... the running joke was that they were homeless and unemployed.

All of those concerns have been corrected. Having found a house and working with the moving company to retain possession of their belongings, North Carolina's homeless population has been reduced by a man, a woman, a child, and two dogs.

All Together Now..."Awww"

2011-11-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Leila has been SO cute lately. And funny. When Leila was just a baby I dubbed her as the "Mary Poppins Baby" (Practically Perfect in Every Way.) Well...that still applies (minus some of her bad habits that seem to be improving ie. eating/sleeping) Anyway, for history's sake, I need to write about some of her cuteness now. Enjoy.

*A couple weeks ago, Leila opened her door around 10:30 pm. NEVER a good sign of what's to come. She walked into my room, climbed up on Kuso's side of the bed (which is usually empty since he works out of town so much), arranged the pillows and got comfy. Then realized she forgot to get under the blankets, so she did. Then she rolled over so we were laying face to face. She says "Hi Mom." Well, I about melted when I looked into her big brown eyes. I asked her "Do you just want to snuggle with mom for a minute?" "Yep." And she did. For about a minute. THEN the REAL reason she came in surfaced..."I wanna watch Shrek." How could I say no?

*A few nights ago we had to run to WalMart to get a filter for our furnace. I also decided to buy a case of soda. When we were checking out, I lifted the case for the cashier to scan. As I put the case back on the bottom of the cart, the box tore open and cans rolled everywhere. Three of them broke open and were spraying soda all over the place. Well....the folks at WalMart finally figured out what to do about the situation and we were on our way. After getting everything in the car and we were driving out of the parking lot, Leila says "Mom!?" "What Leila?" "Mom a mess" (accompanied by giggles.) I said "Mommy made a mess?" "YEAH!" (accompanied by more giggles.) How cute is she? and how much trouble am I in if she already makes fun of me at age two!

*Leila LOVES to climb on and jump off anything. (It's not just for boys.) When she jumps to someone, she has perfect parachute form. Not hunched over and scared like most kids... she lays it all out...straight back, chest lifted...perfect. And she is strong so she jumps far. ANYWAY..back to my cuteness story. She also loves to climb on furniture and has ventured into climbing on the chair, then over to the couch, then jump down. We are working on having her not do this (more for the safety of the furniture). That night she had climbed on the couch and wanted to jump. I told her to get down. She started to get ready to jump then saw me watching. She looked at me, raised her elbows up, shakes her booty, and says "Fifa! Fifa!" (Siva! Siva! - Dance! Dance!) It is SO hard to get mad at and discipline her when she is SO funny.

*Last night, Leila walked into my bedroom again, a little after 10pm. Stands by the door and says "I wanna see mom." Climbed up into the bed, snuggled under the blankets, and laid there for a short time. Then she started the "Where's (fill in any name she knows here. ie Auntie, Kiley, Hank, Grandma, etc.)..all the while giggling and laughing with her beautiful, big smile. THEN...the REAl reason surfaced again "I wanna watch Shrek." It was that much funnier that it was the SAME movie associated with the SAME behaviors as last week.

I LOVE MY LITTLE GIRL. I have the most beautiful, talented, light hearted, amazing daughter ANYONE could want!

Gnomeo, Gnomeo, Wherefore Art Thou Gnomeo

2011-11-10T08:59:00.004-07:00

Leila LOVES the movie Gnomeo and Juliet. (and who wouldn't after seeing it...it is AWESOME!)Not sure when, but I had this great idea to make Leila dres up as Juliet for Halloween. The idea stuck. We found a pattern very similar to her dress, and my mom got busy.

The Final Result = ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!

Seriously Folks...Could there be a CUTER gnome ANYWHERE on the planet? I doubt it. And Kiley makes a pretty dang cute Rapunzel as well! Kiley was SO funny in her dress. She walked SO prissy and princess-like. It was perfect!

Too bad Leila wouldn't wear her hat after these pictures were taken, so as we "trunk or treated" at my parents church, I carried that hat and hovered it over her head so people could get the full effect. We made the dress a little big, so next year she can be Little Red Riding Hood or a Pirate or maybe something totally different!

(btw...my brother and his family have been here since Friday before Halloween. I've got some adorable pictures from our trip to Wheeler Farm...but that will come later.)

Stat's

2011-10-21T07:44:00.004-06:00

Leila had her two-year-old check up with Dr. Brasher on the 18th (a month and a few days overdue, but putting it into October we were able to get her flu vaccination too.) Anyway...she is 35 1/4 inches tall and 31 lbs 11 oz. That puts her in the mid to up 70% for height and 92% on weight!

If the old wives tale that says "when you are 2 you are half the height you will grow to" is true, that puts Leila at around 5' 10.5". Nice. Leila...I hope your short mother doesn't slow you down! Although, most of her high school age cousins are around that same height too, so maybe she will grow tall...does anyone else hear a volleyball scholarship yelling her name? (a mom can wish can't she?)

It's Potty Time!....

2011-10-17T07:53:00.002-06:00

Hopefully.

Our babysitter has potty trained the kids that live at her house, and because Leila spends so much time there, I am leaving it to La's experience to let us know when it's time to start training...(plus I can't really MAKE her feel ready to try it.)

So a couple weeks ago she told me to "get the stuff" (to her that meant some pull ups and a portable potty.) I left it there this morning.

With the weather starting to chill out (although I'm LOVING the warm fall we have had so far) they won't be outside as much, making it easier to focus on the potty.

I really think that if we can get Leila to USE the potty once, she will pick it up really fast. She is already fascinated with everything potty.

She LOVES panties (and gets mad when she has to wear a diaper with them.)
She LOVES to watch me or my mom use the potty - and offers us toilet paper when we are done.
She LOVES that she has a potty - even though she won't use it for me.
She tells us right AFTER she goes potty in her diaper (about 50-75% of the time.)
She takes her own diaper off, and is starting to try and put her own on.

I think she knows what's going on, but just needs to figure out the right order.

Here's to wishing us good luck!

Love Her Mother

2011-10-03T15:20:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was General Conference. Sister Elaine Dalton - General Young Women's President gave the best talk. It was an answer that all father's ask themselves when blessed to be a father to one of our Heavenly Father's Daughters...

"How do I raise a girl?"

taken from the talk...
"It is a simple answer and it is true — 'The most important thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother,'" she said. "By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion and devotion. She will learn from your example what to expect from young men and what qualities to seek in a future spouse. You can show your daughter by the way you love and honor your wife that she should never settle for less. Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood. You are showing her that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father who loves her."...

..."Fathers, by definition, you are the guardians of your homes, your wives and your children. ... You must be the guardians of virtue."

"Your personal virtue will model for your daughters, and also your sons, what true strength and moral courage are. By being a guardian of virtue in your own life, in your home and in the lives of your children, you are showing your wife and daughters what true love really is. Your personal purity will give you power."

She also asked fathers to be present in their daughters' lives.
"Let her know your standards, your expectations, your hopes and dreams for her success and happiness."
Sister Dalton said Latter-day Saint fathers are "not ordinary men."

So, she concluded, "How do you raise a girl? Love her mother, lead your family to the temple, be guardians of virtue and magnify your priesthood. Fathers, you have been entrusted with our Heavenly Father's royal daughters. They are virtuous and elect. It is my prayer that you will watch over them, strengthen them, model virtuous behavior and teach them to follow in the Savior's every footstep — for He lives."

I encourage each of you to take the time to read the entire talk. Her words are so perfect and inspiring. And since it is our roles as women to support our men in being honorable Priesthood holders, this talk applies to us as well. We need to let our husbands love us. That sounds simple. But when I reflect about how much has changed and developed in the five years Aukuso and I have been together, sometimes I need to let myself be that girl he fell in love with and put aside some of the things that have changed both of us, for good and for bad.

I love being a wife and I love being a mother. I'm excited for this challenge to let my husband love me so that he can live the answer about how to raise his daugter.

**There is another part of her talk that said something to the effect of "If your daughter is on a date, and is late, GO GET HER." L-O-V-E-D it.

Please Explain...

2011-09-30T08:14:00.002-06:00

As I was mindlessly surfing the Internet in an attempt to entertain myself, I come across a story "9 Things You Didn't Know About Your Ears." Click.

To the side of the actual article:
"Related Topics"
*Breast Feeding
*Cervical Cancer
*Menopause
*Women's Health

Again, to reiterate the title of this blog, please explain?

Ten Words

2011-09-29T10:07:00.003-06:00

This got published in our montly Relief Society newsletter. I loved it so I typed it up and put it on my wall at work.

TEN WORDS
The most Selfish one-letter word...
"I"- Avoid It!
The most Satisfying two-letter word...
"We" - Use It!
The most Poisonous three-letter word...
"Ego" - Overcome It!
The most Used four-letter word...
"Love" - Value It!
The most Pleasing five-letter word...
"Smile" - Share It!
The Fastest Spreading six-letter word...
"Gossip"- Ignore It!
The Hardest Working seven-letter word...
"Success"- Achieve It!
The most Enviable eight-letter word...
"Jealousy"- Distance Yourself from It!
The most Powerful nine-letter word...
"Knowledge"- Acquire It!
The most Valued ten-letter word...
"Friendship" - Maintain It!

TAGGED

2011-09-29T09:57:00.002-06:00

So I got "tagged" to post 'what's in my purse?' My purse is very small and has little in it. Since I don't have a camera with me, and I'm bored, I'll do it anyway...

*keys
*sunglasses
*wallet
*fresh wipe
*Sears Super Saver Card
*chapstick
*lip gloss
*pen
*coin purse - empty
*nail clippers
*coupons - only one expired
*loose quarter
*Victoria's Secret bra sizing card
*Courthouse parking pass
*checkbook
*"This is not a bill" document about my house taxes

I guess my small purse has more in it than I thought!

I tag anyone who feels the desire to post this - it's pretty entertaining for the rest of us to read!

Leila's Party!

2011-09-19T15:19:00.008-06:00

WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A PICTURE JOURNEY. ENJOY.

Leila's REAL birthday was on Wednesday September 14th. This is her "practice" cake so she knew what to do with the candles for her party. She is a pro.

Kingston Uta'iSome of the presents (most I think)Some of the food. About half I think.I promised Leslie (who was my camera lady - THANKS) that I would put a picture of myself on the blog since I wasn't behind the camera...so here you go you lucky viewers!)Cheese!Cheese Again.Cheese AGAIN! (a little better)

Leila and Brooklyn (church friend) Brook is adopted by white parents. Her mom and I always joke that when they get older they are going to make fun of how WHITE their mom's legs are! That tricycle in the back is from daddy. He was so excited to get her a bike!Matai Uta'i - his shirt says it all!

My mom was worried about what I was going to do with all the little kids. I told her I was going to put ALL the balls that Leila has out in the yard. That's it. That's all they needed.Above: Any of you that read this often...remember that LARGE tree stump that was in our backyard - that turned into a summer long project to get it torn out? THIS is the "after" shot. Not too shabby for amateurs! btw...I'm SO glad that stump is gone. It was worth the work (even though I didn't do any of it) and the waiting. It's done and gone and makes our yard that much more functional.Leila modeling her presents - no one told her do that. She just did. Funny girl.

The "theme" was Mermaid. I originally bought these tattoos to put on the kids at the party. But then decided that was too much work and wasn't sure if some of the parents would be offended, so Leila was the only one with a MERMAID on her arm!

Shirlene Handy made a lot of our birthday cakes when we were young. I ran into her at the store a few times and told her I was going to have her make Leila's cake, so I did. AND she made 24 matching cupcakes to go with the cake. SO cute. So yummy.

Ready...

Happy Birthday Dear Leila....Happy Birthday to You! (BLOW)

Taste.

Taste Again.

Approval.Iafeta Aiono and Burton Uta'i

Leslie Uta'i (Ah Auntie) and The Birthday Bug

Thanks again Les for taking control of my camera so I actually have pictures to document the day!

We had a lot of friends and family show up. It was really simple (aside from the mass amounts of food) and really fun. Leila is definitely loved if her presents are any indication of love. She got lots of clothes and books and clothes and books and a couple of bikes (one for our house, one for grandmas) and a couple of small (noise free!!!) toys. The weather held out WONDERFULLY.

Happy Birthday Bug!

2 Years Old!

2011-09-14T09:12:00.002-06:00

Our Leila Bug is 2 years old today! She has been such a blessing in our lives. The past 2 years have been full of love, happiness, laughter, heartache, frustration, exhaustion, and every other emotion in between.

Right now Leila LOVES movies. Her favorites are Princess and the Frog, Gnomeo and Juliet, Tangled, Pocahontas, Lion King, Aladdin (newest addition to the mix), and Little Mermaid. She asks for each by name, knows when they are about to sing songs, dances during the songs, and knows when the movie is about to end and comes running for a new one.

Leila LOVES to play chase, especially with Grandpa Vic. She flirts and taunts with anyone who will chase her, but especially men. She is WILD. Loves to play rough with Daddy and Uncle Troy. When she falls down (even when she scrapes her elbow and is bleeding) she just jumps up, says "bing!" then continues on as if nothing happened. She is a dare devil. Loves to climb up slides and ladders by herself. Loves to swing as high as you will let her go.

Leila is mastering the art of throwing a fit. She gets really whiny, bounces up and down while she whines, throws her head back, falls to the ground, and on and on.

She is also learning to share. Kind of. When she wants to. She at least understands the concept of it...now we need to work on her sharing her things all the time, not just when she wants to.

Leila is not a very good sleeper. Most nights she goes to bed after 10pm. Then wakes up at some point wanting a "sssiiiiippppyyyyyy." Then goes back to sleep. Although the past few nights I've been able to get her in bed and leave her there while she is still awake and let her put herself to sleep after a book and a sippy.

She is also not a very good eater. She will eat chips and bread and milk and juice and an occasional chicken nugget or hot dog. She also usually likes pizza and potatoes and gravy. That's about it. She doesn't really like a lot of sweet stuff either. She likes a lot of Samoan food, but only if daddy is eating it with her. She eats other things, but not well, and not often. The past couple days have shown some improvement, but she is definitely a snacker, not an eater. We'll have to get that in check at some point.

Leila shows SOME interest in using the toilet to potty, but I think we've got a little longer on that before she will really be ready to give it a go.

Leila has natural mothering skills. She doesn't play with babies often, but when she does it amazes me how well she can take care of them. One of her babies actually cries when you touch it's feet, and drinks a bottle and "goes to sleep" - snoring sounds and all. When baby cries, she runs for the bottle. She holds the baby so soft and sweet, puts blankets on her, and shows the baby pictures and says, "Yook (look) baby."

Leila talks all the time. A lot. Pretty understandable to most people. She is very polite with Please, Thank You, Excuse Me, and Bless You. When she is throwing a tantrum, we always make her calm down to say "please" in a nice tone. That usually turns into "Please, nice." Some of the things she says sounds like she has an Italian accent. Eh bebe (a baby) Eh Seepy (a sippy) ah papa (granpa). She says eh or ah in front of almost every phrase she says. Eh Eh Eh Bwankie (blankie) Ah Matai (her future husband's name.) Ah Auntie. Ah Uncle. You get the picture.

She LOVES church and most mornings when we drive by our church on the way to the babysitter she points at it, says "church." Then "Pweeeease?" Often times I take her to my youth night activity, and we've been playing some volleyball on another night, and she loves nursery, so at a young age she associates church with fun. Hopefully she can continue those thoughts throughout her life.

I could go on and on about all the funny things she does and all of the frustrating things she does. Either way, we love her and are so grateful that we have the opportunity to be her parents. I couldn't ask for anything better.

**Today she will get to open her presents from mom and dad (even though daddy is out of town - boo) and maybe one from grandma and grandpa. Probably take her to dinner so she can "swide" at Chick Fil A. Then we are having a friend/family party on Saturday. HOPEFULLY I'll get around to taking a few pictures. Until then, just imagine how stinkin dang cute she is!

10 Years since 09/11/01

2011-09-13T10:04:00.003-06:00

September 11, 2011 marked the 10 year anniversary of when terrorists attacked U.S. soil by hijacking airplanes and running them through the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Their intent was to break the American Spirit. Little did they know that their attack would have the opposite affect. The American people united together as One Nation Under God. Although lives were lost, the attempted blow at hurting the American People was a feeble one. Regardless of economic status, leadership, crime rates, etc., The United States of America is the BEST place a person could ever live....if for no other reason but because we ARE One Nation Under God.

10 years ago I had NEVER heard of Osama bin Laden or Al Qaeda. Now those names are commonplace. It's surreal to think that my children will read and learn about this in their American History classes, then turn to me and say "you were alive when that happened? you remember that?" This is one of the marked events (along with the likes of Pearl Harbor, JFK being shot, the first moon walk, and the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster) in history that regardless of circumstance, you remember where you were and how you felt that day. Those feelings may be suppressed over time, but just recalling the emotions and thoughts from that tragic day in American history renews those feelings as if they were new.

My family and I had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero in October 2002. At that time, the fence surrounding Ground Zero was still in tact as a barrier. Over a year later, the fence was still covered in shirts, posters, stuffed animals, balloons, etc with well wishes to those who lost their lives. Over a year later, those items attached to the fence still smelled like smoke. It was similar to a campfire smell, but eerily different. A nearby church was left open as a makeshift museum to show the scars on the benches from where the fire and police workers went to lay down for a few minutes of rest and left their marks with their utility belts. I'm glad we had the chance to visit Ground Zero. To be there in person to feel the solemn reverence that surrounds that plot of land.

I am proud to be an American. I know that our country is not perfect, but the religious freedoms and original ideals it was founded on gives me enough comfort in saying that we are truly blessed to be living in this great country we call home.

One Word

2011-09-12T08:04:00.003-06:00

What is the ONE word in this world that has an all encompassing meaning? You can basically pick ANY verb and that word can describe this one word. This ONE word makes you feel...

strong. happy. tired. love. excited. worried. smart. confused. busy. dependable. helpful. crazy. complicated. stressed. fun-loving. silly. poor. weak. powerful. support. independent. frustrated. dependent. blessed. greatful. lazy. exhausted. thrill seeking....well, you get the picture.

What is that one word?

MOM

Being a mom has been the best thing to happen to me. As frustrated as I get, I get equally or even more excited when my little Leila Bug hollers out "MOM!" (even if it is for 30+ minutes at night because she doesn't want to go to sleep....) I love being a mom and I hope I'm doing a good enough job that my daughter and any future children will know that I love being a mom by the way they are treated.

Sassy Pants

2011-08-16T14:09:00.004-06:00

My mom told me about the following converstaion when I went to pick Leila up yesterday.

Leila (standing at the top of the stairs and yelling): Troy! Eat! Food! (not really food time.)
Troy: There is no food. (in a teasing tone.)
Leila: Shush Troy.

Oh geez, this made me laugh. And it still does.

Makes Your Heart Melt Like a Popsicle on the 4th of July

2011-08-10T09:39:00.002-06:00

Aukuso has been kind of slow at work the past few weeks, so he has been spending a lot of time with Leila. When times like this happen, mom basically becomes non-existent unless daddy is gone. She wants nothing to do with me. (Which to be honest, is kind of a welcome break because when he is gone working so much, that leaves me to do EVERYTHING.) One of my favorite parts is that she wants daddy to take her to bed at night. If I go lay down with her, she pushes my shoulder and tells me to "move" and yells for daddy until he comes. Sorry honey, but thank you!

Last night Kuso was taking Leila to bed. She had fallen asleep on the couch, but when I laid her down, she woke up and pushed me, told me to move, and yelled for daddy. No surprise there. Well, daddy goes in to lay with her. He came out about 30 minutes later to get a sippy cup. I was REALLY surprised she was still awake after all that time. After she finally went to sleep, he told me what was going on.

Leila played with Kuso's face while he pretended to be asleep. After a while of running her fingers all across his face, she put one hand on his cheek, put the other hand on the other cheek, and kissed him...about 5 times. He cried. Then he laughed because he was crying. He thought it was so sweet that he told me about it several times before we went to sleep.

Our daughter is the most beautiful and precious gift that the Lord has blessed us with.

3 Years Down...an Eternity to Go!

2011-08-09T12:00:00.002-06:00

Three years ago today, Aukuso and I became Eternal Companions.

Future In-Laws

2011-08-02T15:54:00.003-06:00

Matai Uta'i and Aukuso

Arranged marriages may not be common practice, but my BESTIE and I have decided that Leila and Matai will marry. PRIOR to Matai's mission, they are "cousins" so that there will not be any love interest there. AFTER Matai returns from his mission, then life will reveal itself that they are not REAL cousins and that yes, it's okay to like them. Yes, it's okay to love them. Yes, it's okay to marry them. And Yes, it's okay to make beautiful afatasi babies with them!

(How cute would that be...2 afatasi parents which adds up to making afatasi babies!)

Would You Like Fries with That?

2011-07-29T12:39:00.003-06:00

Last night I was at another fast food restaurant with a play area with Leila...(do you see a theme in my life? It's really not that often, but it seems to be lately.) Anyway, as I'm ordering, Leila is standing on the floor next to me. This is how the conversation went:

Worker: Is that your daughter?

Me: Yes.

Worker: Is she adopted? Or is her dad....? (her words trail off to nothing)

(My thoughts: Or is her dad what? Black, Polynesian, Hispanic? Or is her dad a sperm donor that I picked from the bank and asked for chocolate flavored?)

Me: She looks like her dad. Her dad is Samoan.

Worker: Oh. (as she smiles sheepishly. She was kind of embarrassed.)

I thought it was hilarious. Because let's be honest, Leila looks nothing like me. I know this. I am actually surprised that for as many stores as I take her to, that no one else has asked before this!

Judgement Day

2011-07-29T12:23:00.003-06:00

I was reading a post about how certain people are in an uproar about a cross (a T-joint steel girder made out of steel) that was found among the rubble and preserved as a memorial of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center is finally going to be unveiled this September as a memorial for the 10th anniversary of the biggest attack on American soil.

The complainers are upset that they would pick a Christian symbol. There were victims who were not Christian. And some of the ones who are Christians want it to be a "Lutheran" cross rather than just any old cross.

This is what one man (President of American Atheists) had to say. "The World Trade Center cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their god, who couldn't be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross."

All I have to say is, "WOW...what will that man be held accountable for when his Judgement Day comes?" I would love to be there when our Heavenly Father welcomes him with open arms and continues loving him as he loves all of His children. I would love to see that man's eyes opened and heart softened as he hears and understands the message of the true gospel.

AND isn't it interesting that the only symbol found was a Christian symbol. To me, personally, that speaks volumes. GOD BLESS AMERICA. One Nation, Under GOD.

*Sorry...I don't usually get into controversial topics, but for some reason, this one hit me strong today.

Girl's Camp

2011-07-28T08:34:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to go to Girl's Camp with my Stake. Well, for 2 days anyway. And yes, it was an opportunity. I love girl's camp. Especially when it includes nice facilities. This year we went to Heber Valley Camp that was inspired by President Gordon B. Hinkley. Anyone who has been on the property can see and feel the inspiration that went into developing this camp.

There are cabins or yurts with bunk beds. Pavilions to cook under with sinks, running water (hot and cold), camp stoves (includes griddles and propane), a walk in closet that has shelves and a fridge for food, and bathrooms with showers (the girls got to take one during the week).

A lake that allows campers to canoe. After everyone is in their canoe, there is a signal to start 2 minutes of silence where the directors ask each participant to use this silence to pray to our Heavenly Father. At the end of the silence, everyone sings out I Feel My Saviors Love. The song kind of echoes around the small lake. As the facilitator describes it "like Heavenly Angels" which was true. There is just no other way to describe it.

An obstacle course that allows girls to challenge themselves to go on the high course which includes climbing up a telephone pole (basically), walking across a log to the other pole, hooking up to the zip line, then falling over the edge to zip to the end of the line. The other "low" obstacles were team building activities which are then related to spiritual lessons we can apply to our lives. (YES! I did the high course! Go me!)

When Sister Marjorie Hinkley heard about what was going into this camp, she said something to the effect of "well these girls need ice. And clean water." So down at the main pavilion there is an ice machine (hotel style) with a spout for filtered water. SO refreshing to have COLD water during the hot months and the high altitude (8,000 ft.)

The wildlife are used to the campers being around so in the 2 days I was there, we saw deer (some were likely the same) about 10 different times, including babies. There was one deer who laid under our yurt for several hours one afternoon. They would just look at you and pose for pictures (for people who actually use their cameras.) Amazing.

We had a good group of girls. 26 in all. Each girl had "buddied up" with someone else which made it nice so that leaders did not have to "assign" friends so that some of the younger or quieter girls didn't get left out. They all got along, no problems, no fights, no arguing. It was bliss. We had a couple of non-members there as well as a "delinquent youth" who "has a record." Each of these girls (who I had never met before) were drawn to me and we all became quite close. A couple of these new friends got teary when I had to leave.

This camp was truly inspired by our Heavenly Father. And regardless of background or personality, it brings the best out in everyone and each individual has the opportunity to feel our Savior's love through the beauty of the surroundings.

btw...this camp is available for families to rent on weekends and through the winter months. I would HIGHLY recommend you find some way to get a chance to visit this camp at least once in your life. It truly is amazing.

Customer Service at it's FINEST!

2011-07-27T09:10:00.003-06:00

Saturday July 23rd I took Leila to Arctic Circle so she could play on the slides (since she won't eat until she is ready - plus, I was looking for something to occupy her time and wear her out so she would take a good nap.)

After a little while of playing, I noticed that she had leaked through her shorts - the perfect indicator that it was time to go. Well, the playground is great for kids, not for parents. Both ends start with stairs that lead to tunnels to get to the middle. However, the tunnels are very small. I probably could have squirmed my way through, but there is no way I could have squirmed my way out with an upset child. (I eventually bribed her to come out by telling her I would give her M&M's - a girl after my own heart.)

Well, part of the reason I did not just retrieve her and throw her down the slide was - drum roll please - the slide was covered in POOP! Yep....poop. Gross. The ONLY part of this that makes it (kind of) okay is that it was HER poop! I started to walk outside to take her food and our drinks to the car while she played for one more second then saw the splatters on the bottom of the slide. She was the only kid who had been in there that wasn't over 6 so I knew it had to be hers...luckily for everyone involved the other kids had left by this point.

So I put the food and drinks down and tell the manager that he may want to close the playground and the reason why. As I carried Leila out to the car like hazmat material I tell the manager I'll be back to clean up the mess after I clean up the mess (my screaming daughter) I was taking to the car. When I came back in, the manager and one of the employees was cleaning up the mess. I told them that I was more than willing to do it (as I have also worked in the food industry and know how crappy - no pun intended - it is to clean up other people's nasty messes.) The manager just smiled and said it was "No problem. We all have kids and know how it is. We need to disinfect anyway."

Now, Arctic Circle is not usually my first place to eat...nor 2nd or 3rd...in fact, it's quite far down on the list most days, but after that experience, you bet I'll take Leila back there so she can play on their equipment and bring some business to a company who employs people who understand that even though your kids can be gross, it's not intentional.

Call for Assistance

2011-07-21T08:22:00.002-06:00

No. This is not snake related. Luckily.

I'm reaching out to all my mother (of father) readers since most of you have children older than mine. Leila will be 2 in September and goes through spurts of sleeping well through the night, then waking up and crying for a sippy. She also goes through spurts where it's okay for me to leave her room while she is awake, and then through spurts where I have to lay next to her until she is asleep, then sneak out. The good behaviors coincide with each other and the bad with each other.

I've had a few thoughts about what might be causing the roller coaster of emotion...

*Teething - she might be pushing a few of her bigger teeth through the back and the pain wakes her up, then wants a sippy because the cold helps it? She had been doing well for several weeks up until this week. Last night she was up 3 times for a total of probably close to 2 hours. NOT OKAY....for her or me.

*Feeling insecure - with daddy's work schedule and having him home for 2-3 days, then gone for 4-5 days, I think she might wake up to make sure someone is still with her. Again, the sippy is just a comfort thing for her? Coincidentally, she sleeps better when he is home (most of the time.)

*Pure exhaustion - you know that feeling when you are so tired you can barely function and you are so excited to go to sleep, but then you get in bed and your mind is still racing because you have had such a busy day? Maybe Leila is such a busy body she does the same thing?

*Being too hot or cold - that was the problem several weeks ago, but I think that has been resolved for now.

I don't know, but something has got to give. Why can't I have one of those kids who sleeps through the night at 4 months old. Leila did at 2 months, but then up again at 4 months, then sleeps good around 8 months and so on. She is almost 2 people! I'm open for any advice.

Her bed time is quite late (on average around 10pm), but when I try to get her to bed earlier (especially on days she shows she is tired) she ends up going to sleep later because she plays games and gets herself all hyper again. She is a party animal and would stay awake until 11 -12 if I would let her. Easy. I wake her up to take her to the sitters around 7:30. On weekends, she will wake up anywhere between 7:30 and 9:00. So she gets about 9+ hours of sleep a night...then usually gets a decent nap in the afternoon. Anywhere between 1.5 - 3 hours...usually about 2 - 2.5. (She takes her nap around 2 on average.) But even on the days she gets a shorter nap, or an earlier nap, she still won't go to sleep earlier. I know they say kids need more sleep than 9 hours, but Leila stays pretty happy for the most part. She is not miserable by the end of the night (there are exceptions to this.)

I enjoy her later bed time (mostly) because I am a full time working mother and so I only get to see her a few hours a day, but I also know she needs her sleep. I would also like a little time to myself to clean up or watch a show I want to watch without interruption.

Please...open for any suggestions to get her to bed a few minutes earlier and keep her there. If she continues with her waking up this week, tonight I'll try giving her Tylenol to see if it really is a pain thing.

What Do You Do When Your Worst Nightmares Come True?

2011-07-20T15:30:00.003-06:00

Mine has.

My mom found a snake on my property yesterday. Sick. Ew. Gross.

She got my dad and they both said it was a greyish (maybe a little black) in color. About 2 feet long and about as big around as my mom's middle finger. Sick. Ew. Gross.

We were doing yard work and cleaning up the garage. Maybe an hour before the encounter, I was pulling weeds on the side of the house where the snake had to have come from, and pulling weeds from the actual "flower bed" where it was found! Sick. Ew. Gross.

And less than 10 minutes before the encounter, I had turned the front hose on. This is where it was found. It's beady little eyes were probably watching me. Sick. Ew. Gross.

My mom went to turn the hose on and almost stepped on the damn thing! That's when she got my dad and I was in the back yard. She was trying not to freak me out, but when she wasn't spraying the drive way and my dad had his leather gloves on, I thought something was up. Sick. Ew. Gross.

She waited a few minutes, then told me the details AFTER my dad says "Well, at least we know why there aren't mice over here." Sick. Ew. Gross.

So they checked a little through the bushes and the ground cover (one of the main reasons why I'm not a fan of ground cover and why we tore out the ground cover/vines in the backyard this spring) and to make sure it didn't go into the window well. As they were checking, my mom saw it's trail over the ground cover leading away from my house. Sick. Ew. Gross. I couldn't even bring myself to see that.

So just now, I was looking on Google to see what kind of snake in Utah might fit this description. Just the images of the snakes creeped me out. I got the shivers and clicked out right away. Sick. Ew. Gross.

So in case you want to know how I really feel about snakes...They Are EVIL! Sick. Ew. Gross.

The ONLY positive (if there is one) of this situation, is it might get Kuso motivated to get those bushes torn our sooner than later. Neither one of us really liked them, but there were other projects we felt were more important to tackle before those. Maybe not.

18 words

2011-07-18T11:04:00.002-06:00

Since today is the 18th, I decided to describe my weekend in 18 words.

Laser hair removal - on hold. Concrete - almost complete. Dinner - Cracker Barrel. Rugby. Beto's. Drive-in movie. Church - "woo-hoo!" - again.

Kind of challenging, but kind of fun. (btw...hyphenated words only count as one since you just counted all my words!)

Free as a Bird!

2011-07-14T12:22:00.004-06:00

Leila loves the water. We set this little pool up while Troy and Kuso worked on getting our cement project prepped...(which we will FINALLY pour tomorrow! I'm SO excited to have that project done.) Anyway, I just took Leila's clothes off and let her play since she still needed to take a bath.

Well, the diaper got SUPER soaked. Actually, I'm quite amazed with how much water that thing held. I finally took it off and just let her play naked for a little bit. I squeezed the diaper and had to squeeze pretty hard to get any water to come out. Amazing. Then I touched it (like on the commercial) and it felt pretty dry considering it was filled to the brim.

How liberating does that look to sit in your backyard, naked, basking in the sun? I think it looks heavenly. A couple years ago, I took an outside shower at girls camp around noon. The sun was shining and the water was perfect. I LOVED it. Then the outside showering experiences in Samoa...man, I love to be outside naked. Too bad it won't ever happen. You can all thank me for my restraint. Any time she sees the camera, she has to have her picture taken, then look at it. BOTH of these pictures are from her seeing the camera, then saying "CHEEEEESE." (and usually tilts her head.)

Look how NICELY her face has healed up. I'm HOPING it will stay that way. I'm putting "monkey balm" on it morning and night to hopefully keep that awful dry skin from coming back.

The picture below is from a week prior to the above picture.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-14T11:52:00.007-06:00

The 4th of July Shawn, Michelle, and Kiley were still in town, so we went to the zoo. Utah's Hogle Zoo has "Zoorassic Park" set up for the summer. They have all of these cool dinosaurs that move and roar. Some spit water! Most of them have baby one's nearby too. The cool part about them, is they were just scattered throughout the zoo, but they didn't look like they were out of place. Leila wasn't too fond of them, in fact, she hated them. Which is kind of surprising given how brave she is about other things. Not this.

Most of the dino's also had plaque's by them telling you the name of the dinosaur and what scale this model is made to. I didn't look at most of them, but they were about 1/2 or 2/3 to real scale. Above and Below: My disgusting brothers making the most of their photo op with this giant Elephant statue.Some of the Wild Life. Our friend Dorian works at the zoo (with the reptiles. YUCK!) but he was going to give us the chance to take the girls back and see some lizards and snakes (we politely declined...again, YUCK!...but he also had access to the ENORMOUS tortoises that are like 100 years old! But he wasn't available to take us for almost 2 more hours. By this time, we had already been there for close to 2 hours and keeping these small girls there that much longer was going to be hard...and chances are, Leila would have been scared anyway!

See what I mean? She was even scared of the Lion fountain!

These statues were about the only things she wasn't scared of...AFTER she watched them for a minute to make sure they weren't moving! (funny side note - when she hugs things, often times she will say "hug" while she is hugging it. Cute.)

Leila loves pockets. and I love watching her put her hands in her pockets.Family Photos

My "white trash" family. Troy REALLY wanted to get into the garbage can, and if they came and changed out the bag, he would have. Luckily for us, the bag was dirty and he was able to restrain himself.

After the zoo, we stopped by Pizza Factory for lunch. (It's not as good as the original one in Cedar City, but it's still pretty tasty.) Kuso didn't join us for our morning activities. He had to go to Provo to get some koko from his cousin that was sent with a missionary who recently came to the MTC. (plus he thinks the zoo is boring.)

We took the girls home for naps, then later we all went to Murray Park for the fireworks. Kuso's family (uncle and some cousins families) go every year and we have just latched on to their traditions. Leila wasn't too sure about the fireworks, but after daddy held her tight in his arms, she relaxed and enjoyed them. (no pictures...I have more fun playing around than trying to capture it all through pictures. I need to get better about that!)

Aiono Bi-Annual Reunion 2011

2011-07-14T11:15:00.011-06:00

Kuso's family reunion was Friday July 1 - Sunday July 3, 2011. So far the reunions have been here in Utah because there are more places for everyone to stay for free if we have it here! Kuso's family has a reunion every other year due to the distance people need to travel to get together. The reunion started Friday at a park where some people camped over. I worked, so we didn't start the reunion until I got off. We met everyone at the park, reunited with cousins, then headed over to a church for the family dance/taualuga.

Above: Tasha, Nati, Whitney, Nuga, Ana (Nati's daughters)
Below: Tasha, Ana, Grandma, Whitney, Grandpa

Above: Tiana aka Alofa, Little G, and Sierra (Alofa/Tiana is the oldest, G and Sierra are twins less than a year younger!) Siaosi's kids (the 3 oldest anyway) took over the bandannas to show how gangsta they are.

Below: Kuso and his mom dancing. Above: Grandpa Voi dancing.Above: Most of the kids (high school and down) that were at the reunion dancing.

Below: MOST of the people at the reunion. Below: Cousins James and Siaosi Aiono (not the same Siaosi who's kids are shown above). Our favorite local Utah Utes football players! Go UTES! I'm pretty sure this is James' senior/last year and this is Siaosi's freshman year.Saturday we had initially planned to take everyone to a water park, but it was decided that was too much expense and too many kids to take around water, so they just had a huge tarp/slip and slide and water balloons. Leila isn't QUITE old enough for that, so I still took her to the pool with my family. (Shawn, Michelle, and Kiley came to town the same weekend as the Aiono reunion.)

After swimming, Kuso had a dance performance so we headed over there.

I love this picture of Leila. She looks so grown up in her shorty shorts and T-shirt tied back.

Daddy and Daughter dancing! Leila seriously can't control herself sometimes.

Sunday they had dinner at Golden Corral (much easier and actually cheaper than cooking for the entire family.) Then that night we ended the reunion with a family testimony/tell us about your life and family meeting.

Above: MOST of the people who made it to the church.

Below: The parents (reason for the reunion) and most of the young kids (who are the 4th generation for this reunion - starting from Kuso's grandpa (1) Kuso's dad (2) Kuso (3) and Kuso's kid (4.) Kinda cool.Above: Pailate, BooBoo, Siaosi, Ray, Faioso

Pailate has the same name same age (6 days difference) as my hubby - different middle names is the only way to tell them apart on paper!).

Below: Ana, Xavier, Nani, and Avian

Kuso's family really knows how to have a good time. There is always food, dancing, and laughter involved in almost any get-together. We love to visit with Kuso's cousins from California and we love to visit with his cousins who live here in town, but we never see!

Funnies by Leila

2011-07-14T09:48:00.004-06:00

*At my parent's neighbors house - Leila was playing with the dogs. The dog sneezed. Leila looks the dog in the face and says "bless you!"

* Whenever we hear music, we tell Leila to "shake it." When we call Kuso's phone, it plays "Forget You" by Cee Low and Leila usually shakes her shoulders while we wait for him to answer. Lately, she points at me and says "shake it." Then I shake my shoulders and she gets quite a giggle out of it.

* Yesterday I went to get her out of bed to go to the sitters. (this week she has been going to my sister-in-laws house (Alofa) because her regular sitter is out of town.) I told her to get up and lets go. Most days, she gets up and is ready to go. Yesterday she just laid there, looked at me and said "church."

Me: "wanna go see Auntie?"
Leila: "Nope."
Me: "wanna go see One?"
Leila: "Nope."
Me: "wanna go see grandma?"
Leila: "Nope."
Me: "wanna go to church?"
Leila: "Yep."

Most of the time any of these questions gets an excited YEP! But yesterday, she just wanted to go to church. If I thought she had any real sense of time, she would know that it was a YW night, but I don't think that's the case. It made me chuckle that she just wanted to go to church.

* At least on a daily basis she tells us that "Moki -- house." Moki is our neighbors dog that she loves to play with as long as he is on his leash or in Dick's arms. She always points at their house and tells us "Moki." So I always tell her "Moki is in the house." So now that's what she tells us all the time - even when we aren't at our house.

* She always tells me "Come on" (think in a deep disgusted voice) which she usually isn't disgusted when she tells me that, but it's SO funny. She squeals like a girl, then tells me "come on" in this deep manly voice. SO not girly. She also responds to a lot of questions with an unenthusiastic "yep." Again, very deep and not girly sounding. "Leila! Wanna watch the fireworks?" "yep" (think Eeyore). It's hilarious.

* While driving to a friend's wedding last weekend, we weren't by any houses or gas stations or anything and Leila starts yelling "Mom! Mom!" "What Leila?" "Dino's! ROOOAAAAR!" Funny for 2 reasons. 1) it was totally out of the blue and 2) she was scared to death of the dino's at the zoo, but she has talked about them all week long.

* I'm sure there are more, but I'm going to try and post more of these silly things she says now that her communication skills are improving...

Hip Hip Hooray! ?

2011-07-11T08:25:00.003-06:00

Since I'm trying out to be the World's Best Mom, I occasionally let Leila sit in the front seat (or on the arm rest) while we drive to or from church (about a block away). Yesterday, we turned the corner and Leila saw the church, threw her arms in the air in triumph, let out a girly "Whoo!," then yelled "Church!"

Leila seriously loves church. We have finally found our assigned seats in this ward that we have been attending for a year now. So now that we sit near the same people consistently, Leila knows that she sits with us until the sacrament is over, then after that she can color or eat her snacks. And then depending on the week, any time after the sacrament has been passed, she starts taking books to the "older" lady that sits behind us (Older meaning maybe 60ish?). Then it's back and forth and back and forth to switch out books. The lady (Sis. Fenema) LOVES Leila and apologizes to us every week for keeping her so long. Seriously lady, don't apologize. It's quite nice to have little responsibility and your entertaining her keeps her quite reverent, so don't apologize, let me thank you!

Leila loves church so much that for the past few weeks while we have been doing camp clinics for Young Women I've taken her with me so she can just be at the church. I was a little worried that it might confuse her that on Wednesday we get to go and be silly then Sunday we have to be reverent, but she has done quite well.

Leila loves church so much that when I'm trying to comb her hair and get her ready and she is not being cooperative, I say "Do you wanna go to church?" "Yep." Then MOSTLY cooperates.

My Patriarchal Blessing mentions that I will have an easy time raising my children in the Gospel if I stay true and faithful. If Leila's love for church (and Nursery) are any indicator to what we have to look forward to, I am/will be truly grateful and will throw my arms in the air in triumph, and let out my own girly "Whoo!".

Quiz

2011-07-01T10:48:00.003-06:00

SO...a couple of my friends have posted this quiz on their blog to have their viewers take the quiz to see how well their blogs reflect their interests/personality/etc. After doing both of their quizzes, I decided to post the quiz WITH my answers because most of these questions would not be answered through my regular blogs. I tend to blog about funny things, or big events, not every day happenings...so, here ya go.

1. What is my beverage of choice? Diet Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero these days
2. What is my favorite meal of the day? snack time
3. If it were 72 degrees outside and the sun was shining, where or what would I be doing? I would probably be at work, but I would want to be doing yard work or taking Leila to a park or just watching Leila play around the yard.
4. Do I enjoy cooking? not really
5. What time am I usually up and ready for the day by? usually out the door by 7:30 or earlier.
6. How many siblings do I have? 2 brothers, one older, one younger
7. What is one of my least favorite chores? cleaning bathrooms! or dusting. or sweeping. I don't mind cleaning the kitchen, cleaning bedrooms, doing laundry, vacuum. But I HATE bathrooms the MOST!
8. What is one of my talents (do I have more than one? hahahahaha)? I don't really have a lot of talents that I can SHOW...but I'm a great organizer (when i want to be) and I'm really good at getting along with people. Pretty much anyone I can have a conversation with and make them feel comfortable.
9. What am I most proud of? My family. My career. That all through junior high, high school, and college (even now and forever) I never drank any alcohol, used any tobacco, or any drugs. In fact, it takes a LOT for me to even take Tylenol or something like that.
10. What is my favorite season? Summer probably, although I enjoy elements of all of them. I love the brisk air in the fall. I love the first snow fall. I love to feel the air warm up and the flowers bloom in the spring, but summer is the most fun!
11. Briefly describe my typical day. Drop Leila at the sitters, go to work, leave work, pick up Leila from my mom's (usually spend several hours there including dinner) go home, give Leila a bath, bed time routine...and we throw some playing in there somewhere. Weekends? Eh. your guess is as good as mine!
12. Name 2 of my favorite treats. White trash (a chex mix type mixture covered in almond bark coating) and cadburry mini eggs (I put these same answers on a friends quiz) but I also love frozen candy bars (Reese's, Snickers, Milky Way)
13. My favorite restaurant? Fiesta Ole or Chick Fil A probably. Although Chili's chips and salsa ring out to me!
14. One of my hobbies? online shopping, I just really enjoy anything that gets me to laugh
15. Do I like to 'craft'? not really, but sometimes if it's simple enough
16. Would I rather get a shot or go to the dentist? I don't really hate either. A shot is faster I guess.
17. Who is my best friend? Probably My mom and Leslie Uta'i (for different reasons)
18. My favorite holiday? Easter
19. It's 40 degrees outside and rainy. Where or what would I be doing? Probably at work, but I would rather be home watching a movie wrapped up in a blanket.
20. My favorite time of day? about 8 pm when the weather is calm, but still warm and nice outside (during the summer.) I also love 430 when it's time to leave work and go do something for ME!
21. What am I scared of? losing a loved one unexpectedly, snakes, spiders, octopus, most animals, reptiles, bugs, etc. I don't like things that can hurt me or surprise me. Heights. Disappointing someone I love.
22. Where do I do the majority of my grocery shopping? WalMart
23. Would I rather spend money going out to eat at a nice restaurant or going out to do something? going to do something because usually, there is something to eat there! If we go out to eat, it's USUALLY to a buffet so Kuso can get his money's worth. $20 at Applebees doesn't do it for him.
24. What is one of Leila's favorite things? Yo Gabba Gabba!, outside, playing with daddy/grandpa/Uncle
25. One of Kuso's? rugby, volleyball, dancing
26. Why do you read my blog? feel free to leave your answer under comments!

Rock On!

2011-06-29T13:57:00.003-06:00

Leila is destined to be a famous singer (country, rock, reggae, R&B, whatev.)

Lately one of her tricks is to "play her guitar" which means she "strums" whatever she has (a fork, her other arm, her plastic guitar, etc.) and while she plays her guitar she sings "I sing. I sing. I siiiing." Then we ask her "are you singing?" She says "yep" with a look on her face like, duh, you couldn't tell? (She also loves to use the shower head to wash off after her bath - BONUS! - and she "sings" into the shower head as well.)

Weekend in Review

2011-06-27T08:05:00.002-06:00

Friday June 24th
* West Fest - Just me and Leila (Kuso was STILL in Wyoming!)
--did a massive search to find a WORKING ATM that wasn't already tapped out by 7pm. I think I found the last one (after 4 previous attempts). Why the massive search? Because I'm such a good wife I NEEDED to add yet another Bob Marley shirt to hubby's massive collection (but I had never seen this one before and it looked nice) - btw...part of the deal of him wearing Bob Marley so much is that there cannot be ANY drugs, smoking, or paraphernalia type stuff. -- it's kinda hard to find SO many shirts that are "appropriate." :)
--bought myself a cute little baby blue Hawaiian print bag to take to places like parks and such where I need to take a FEW things but don't want to use my pockets (after losing the rugby tickets back in February and having to retrace almost a 1/2 mile worth of steps to luckily find them again, I don't trust my back pockets anymore!)
--bought my mom a birthday present! YEP! at West Fest. It's actually something she told me a while back she really wanted (and since she reads this, I'm going to let her stew over it for another month or so when she can actually receive her present!)
--after West Fest Leila and I went home and just vegged.

Saturday June 25
--Kuso came home early that morning because late the night before it was decided only 6 guys were going to work Saturday (even though all 14 had stayed there to work - oh well.)
--went to Costco
--went to visit his parents
--took his mom shopping for some new clothes
--he went to watch rugby (it's his team but since he has been soooo busy working lately, he hasn't had a chance to train/run with them so he didn't play.) Leila and I took a nap.
--went to Taylorsville days. I thought the main concert started at 7, so we were there and seated by then just to see/hear a local acapella band. Then at 8 the REAL main concert started -Abbacadabra - an Abba cover band! It was pretty fun. Then the fireworks started at 10 and went on until 10:35. AND they play them to music which makes it even better.

Sunday June 26
--family dinner with Kuso's parents and his uncles and such. Because there were SO many people and SO much going on, it threw a MASSIVE kink into Leila's nap. Luckily, we were able to adjust slightly and she was still in bed at a moderately normal time (for her.) and SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! (this is getting more and more frequent, but she still has an off night every now and then...)
--Kuso left to go BACK to Wyoming.

ALL of this and I didn't take one.single.picture. Oh well.

You be the Judge

2011-06-20T08:59:00.002-06:00

Word on the street is that Leila is STARTING to look a little more like her mom.

I guess with Doritoes in her mouth, maybe she does!(photo courtesy of Jamila)

I've been told by several different people over that past 2 weeks how much Leila looks like me.

I guess I just can't get past her eyes that ARE her daddy's eyes and the dark skin/hair.

You be the Judge.

Wyoming

2011-06-13T13:28:00.003-06:00

Let it just be said...I.HATE.WYOMING.

There. It has been said.

Kuso spends most of his time working out of Rock Springs, Wyoming. It's just under a 2 1/2 hour drive from here. This is his busy time of year, so Leila and I went up to spend the night since we hadn't seen him in a week and a half and are not sure when we will see him again. (usually within the next week or 2 for sure.)

When we got there, I needed to take a picture of Kuso for my aunt. She is making a book for my grandpa Taylor with all of the family's pictures in it. He has Alzheimer's and this is supposed to help him I guess. Anyway, anytime Leila sees a camera, you hear "ata." or "cheeeeeese." She LOVES the camera. Leila has also started sticking her tongue out at people. Part of it comes from making silly faces while watching Yo Gabba Gabba and from nursery. But she is also learning to "Hmm" kind of a mean grunt when she sticks it out if she is mad. So now when we try to take a picture of her, she sticks her tongue out too.
"Kisi Daddy."
Leila and Mommy

Uncle Nati

Every night the guys get together and cook dinner and eat and hang out (since they don't have gyms or parks or families or yard work or etc to entertain them.) Kuso and I went to eat, but he also wanted to get some of what the guys were cooking that night, so we went over to the room. From outside you can hear them all singing and laughing. One guy was playing the guitar and Nati was playing his ukulele. Leila didn't waste any time giving Nati loves and then flirting with some of the guys..."tickling them" or "getting them" which really means she kind of scratches their knees then runs away. SUCH a flirt.

Back to the REAL reason I.HATE.WYOMING.

I get speeding tickets there. Yes, I speed. But not excessively. On the straight roads of Wyoming, going 75 is ridiculous...I usually find myself creeped up to about 85. Well, speeding is speeding regardless of the BORING reason, so I get pulled over and get a ticket. The officer was VERY nice, but he could have given me a WARNING.

I wouldn't complain so much if I wasn't in the same area of 2 other cars who were gaining ground on me (meaning they were clearly going faster than I was) but MY license plate was from Utah...both other cars were from Wyoming.

Hmmmm.?

Oh well...I might learn my lesson...I might not. Only time will tell. I just hate speeding tickets when my going a little over the posted limit is not reckless or endangering other vehicles....we live and learn. Right? Maybe.

(btw...I got another ticket around the same area 2 years ago...ON MY BIRTHDAY!)

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-06-03T15:44:00.010-06:00

This Memorial Weekend (as most in the past) we went to Southern Utah. Saturday morning we went to Red Cliffs and met up with most of my cousins and aunts. While there, we saw SNAKES! Y.U.C.K.!!! Cousins - Salt & PepperWe told them to hug...I love their "what now" faces below.

Shawn started climbing this tree. Then Kiley wanted to "climb" the tree. Then Kuso decided he needed to climb the tree. So he did.

This rock is where I took most of these next group of pictures.

(Notice Leila's Pebble's hair style. I had combed it so cute that morning. Then we sprayed sun screen on...apparently the sun screen and the elastics did not agree. The elastics snapped. All 6 of them. So I re-did her hair about 4 more times, before I just took the extra "real" elastic from my hair and used it to keep her hair off her face.)This is where people were jumping into the water. So of course, Kuso had to join in.Leila LOVES water. Like Daddy like Daughter.

Tasi, Lua, Tolu, OSO! (1, 2, 3, JUMP!)

Over and Over and Over and Over - luckily I had thought to bring a change of clothes.Someone saw a frog. We watched it jump around. Then cousin-in-law Sarah picked it up and we realized it was TWO frogs. Then Leila in her innocence says "FROG!" BUT...her R sounds like wu and the G sounds like CK...You figure it out. Kinda funny, kinda right, kinda embarrassing. :)On the hike back we noticed this small cave so we took some family photos....Grandpa had high tailed it back to the cars with Leila...Cousin Brandi's daughter Jordyn...she is a nearly perfect child. So good with the little girls and SO beautiful. Leila spent LOTS of time PLAYING on the weekend. Now that we are back home, she gets whiny and bored because there isn't STUFF to play with (as if she doesn't have a mountain of her own STUFF.)
DISCOVERY PARK!
Sunday afternoon we took the girls over to Discovery Park. This park was designed by kids. When I was in college, we were able to help raise money to build one of the towers in the park.Leila learned at a different park to go down slides on her stomach. It prevents her from hitting her head and it makes the landing easier.You can see her peaking through the hole in the slide.Cousin Jace. Such a stud.
This bridge would wobble when you walked on it. I was pretty surprised Leila didn't freak out at first when she felt it move...she just kept walking.Uncle Troy pushing Leila in the baby swing...
Then we had to switch to the big girl swing. Troy is so good with his nieces.

Kiley looking through the hole.Grandma and Leila looking through the hole. Kiley, Grandma, and Leila. NOT a good picture of any of them. This is what you get when you try to take pictures in rain and cold with 2 young girls!Leila and Auntie MichelleHope this is the ONLY Sheriff vehicle she is ever in!

Not Pictured: We took the kids to the Cedar Aquatics Center to swim Saturday afternoon. We had been there for about 20 minutes and someone pooped in the pool! So we all had to get out while they cleaned it and processed chemicals. Leila was getting hungry and because we couldn't entertain her with swimming, we decided to leave and get her some food. Waste of money, but it was a pretty cool place. Maybe we can take her again on another trip.

Other than that, we just spent time hanging out. Eating and laughing. I always enjoy the opportunity to spend time with cousins. The only thing I regret is not taking a picture of all the great grand kids together. This was the first time they were ALL there together.

I'm so thankful for the men and women who have dedicated their time and sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in these United States. Although our country is not perfect, I can't think of anything I would want to give up in order to live somewhere else.

God Bless America!

He loves me...he loves me not...he loves me!

2011-05-19T13:11:00.002-06:00

My husband loves me. EVERY May I celebrate Mother's Day, my Birthday, and our Anniversary....all within a week or so of each other. This year I was SUPER spoiled (you won't hear me complain about that.)

Mothers Day we went to Gateway to eat dinner at a buffet his friend had told him about. After about 4 phone conversations, we figured out he was talking about Tucano's, some fancy place that was way expensive...plus with it being mother's day and prom that weekend, the wait was extremely long. So we just grabbed a bite at Rumbi's. We walked the mall and had ice cream on the other end. SUCH nice weather that night. It was just fun to spend some time with Kuso and Leila. Then on Mother's Day he gave me a card with words that perfectly matched a small argument we had had earlier in the week. It was truly special that he found and picked that card b/c he hates to read....books, cards, anything. The fact that he looked through the cards and found one that was so perfect was awesome. In the card he gave me money that I wanted to help get our backyard projects completed...(buying flowers and bark, etc.)

My BIRTHDAY came and I turned 31 and having fun. Saturday night Kuso took me to dinner at PF Chang's while Leila stayed home with my parents. The wait was over an hour (again, another prom night and a Saturday night downtown Salt Lake.) But, I had been wanting to eat it for so long, I agreed to the wait...much to the dismay of my husband. While we were waiting, his cousin came in for his birthday dinner. They had a reservation and their table was big enough for us to fit, so we ate with them. After dinner, stopped by my bestie Leslie's house to pick up a cake she made (yellow cake with whipped cream and strawberries for topping...MMMM) AND some white trash she had made (it's super delish as well.) Les also gave me a gift card to Kohl's. We were supposed to have a little party, but since our dinner plans took so much time, it was too late to get the kids into party mode. So we just chatted with them for a few minutes, then went home to my bug. Sunday was my REAL birthday. My parents gave me some money. We ate dinner at my parents house (shish-ka-bobs and shrimp salad - at my request) and just chilled out before Kuso had to leave to go back to Wyoming.

Today is our 4 year anniversary. I had a dozen red roses delivered to work. My office smells like the flower shop...YUMMY. He is still in Wyoming but should be coming home after work. Maybe we will grab some dinner, or maybe go on a "date" tomorrow night.

I am so glad to be married to him. Although we have had some trials, some trials that many couples don't ever deal with, we are a stronger and more happy couple each and every day. Although he is gone a lot, our time together is precious and we do our best to enjoy every minute of it together. Thanks for learning to communicate with me better. Thanks for working hard to support our family. Thanks for learning what is important to me and making that important to you. Thanks for making church an important part of life. Thanks for being a worthy Priesthood holder and having that as a part of our home. Thanks for being a great father and for giving me the opportunity to be a mother. Thanks for picking me. Thanks for 4 great years and here's to an eternity more!

The best part about this post, is that Kuso was home for all three occasions. This is his busy time of year and every year since our marriage, he has been in Rock Springs, Wyoming for at least one, if not all of these events.

Notes...

2011-05-18T15:30:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Leila has started to use VERY small sentences, consistently. EVERYTHING she said was "I eat." "I sit." "I dance." "I jump." "I stuck." It's cute. I love watching her learn new words.

While we were out to dinner with my parents, she was sitting in a high chair (which she only does usually if my dad is around) and she leaned her head back to where she was looking at the ceiling. She kept saying "I stuck. I stuck." And wouldn't move. We offered her drinks, food, etc. Eventually something made her laugh and she gave up on being "stuck." That is her favorite. To pretend to be stuck.

Also, last night after her bath we were sitting on the living room floor reading books. If I was watching the TV, she would slap my cheek (kinda softly, but not really) and say "Mama...LOOK!" She definitely wanted me to see what she was seeing.

When we read books, if I point at several objects, she points the same amount of times, at different random things. Last night I made her use her pointer finger and let me use her finger to point at things. She started to throw a small tantrum because she was trying to give me her hand so I would use her finger again, but she was doing it so awkwardly I thought she was trying to tell me to take my hand off the book. So when I took my hand all the way off, she would melt down. THEN, I would use her hand to point and she was happy. That happened twice before I caught on quicker the third time.

Even though this stage of development can be trying because communication skills are very minimal, it's fun and I love it.

Eww...

2011-05-09T08:29:00.002-06:00

Last night Leila was in the bath tub. After she has been in for a while and is ready to get out, she yells out "Yeah?!?"...don't know why, but that's what she always yells when she wants our attention. This time she had only been in a short period of time when she starts yelling out. (I was being a bad mom and cleaning up the house and watching a show rather than sitting in the bathroom with her. I figure as long as I can her her chit chat and playing and check on her occasionally, she will likely be fine.) Anyway, after about the 5th yell, I go see what's going on.

I walk into the bathroom to see Leila clinging to the shower curtain like it is going to save her life. She points at the bathtub and says, "Ew." Yep...EW it was. Poop in the water. So I get her out of the tub, wrap a towel around her, sit her on the floor and tell her to stay there (as if she really will.) Then I gather up all the toys and take them to the kitchen sink and start a bleach bath. Then I grab the shower cleaner, clean the tub, and get everything squared away. Now it's time to start all over the with the bath process.

I try the shower...we have one of those hand held shower heads. She wasn't quite sure at first, but then decided she kind of liked it....so Leila had a shower. That might be on the agenda more often.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's who get a little chuckle out of this because only a mom can appreciate the humor of poop in the bathtub. (Not so much the humor in the poop, but the humor that she thought holding the shower curtain would keep her away from it!)

In World News...

2011-05-02T08:22:00.002-06:00

Friday, April 28, 2011, Prince William married Kate Middleton. There were nearly 23 million Americans who woke up in the early morning hours to watch the Royal Wedding broadcast on TV...

Sunday, May 1, 2011, it was confirmed that Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. troops! While watching my regularly scheduled program Sunday evening, it was interrupted for an important announcement...

(Dead it is.)

--Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night, in a televised address to the nation. His death was the result of a U.S. operation launched today in Abbottabad, Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding, according to U.S. intelligence. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.
“Tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said during brief remarks at the White House.
“Justice has been done,” he said, in comments that marked a formal end of the manhunt for the most visible and emotionally-charged symbol of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The president said U.S. intelligence operatives received a tip in August on bin Laden’s whereabouts, which ultimately led to Sunday’s attack. Obama said he determined last week that the U.S. had enough reliable information to take action; by Sunday morning, he had authorized “a small team of Americans” to conduct an operation targeting bin Laden.
“After a fire fight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” the president said. “No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties.”
Obama said the 9/11 attacks that bin Laden and his lieutenants orchestrated nearly 10 years ago remain “the worst attack on the American people in our history” and said the images of the crumbling Twin Towers “are seared into our national memory.”

--I let out a loud cheer. What a blessed day for American's. This by no means ends our "war on terror" but it sends a message to other terrorists that Americans will not stop our conquest to take out every known terrorist.

Natural Instinct

2011-04-28T10:33:00.001-06:00

A couple nights ago, we were at my parents house. Leila was playing on the floor and while her back was turned, Troy snuck up behind her. When she turned back around, his face was the same level as her face and he kind of "boo-ed" at her. She punched him right in the mouth...closed fist and all. It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T08:15:00.002-06:00

Since I was just little little we have gone to St. George for Easter. That was our chance to get to warmer weather and reunite with my mom's family. This is the first year (in history) that I did not go to St. George. Kuso's cousin James got married on Saturday and since Easter comes every year and a wedding is once in a life time (usually), I decided that staying for the wedding was more important (but Kuso did say that Leila and I could go to St. George if we wanted because he knows that I love my family traditions.)

No pictures of the wedding, mostly because I hate carrying my camera around. We missed the ceremony, but were there for the reception. Good food. They had their reception at Millenial Falls in Draper. Beautiful place, but it's kind of small and awkard shaped for a polynesian wedding. Only a few people were able to enjoy the entertainment without crowding around. Congratulations and Best Wishes to the new Mr. and Mrs. James Aiono!

Leila was SPOILED this Easter. New dress. New clothes. New shoes. A basket from the Easter bunny with candy, chips, bubbles, hair bows, etc. A basket from Grandma Bunny with candy, bubbles, (the previously mentioned shoes and some clothes), etc. A basket from the Home Teacher bunny with toys and candy. Bubbles and a teddy bear from the Home Teacher bunny. A LARGE bag of candy from the Nursery Bunny. And a little cute bunny made out of a washcloth from her church friend, Hadlee (also had some M&M's with it.) Again, no pictures because I just suck at keeping my camera around.

Because we are usually out of town, it's sad to say that I have only been to church on Easter a handful of times when we decided to stay long enough to attend church. We usually just get up and head home when the rest of the family heads off to church. In class, our teacher had us separate our chairs (for privacy), gave us a piece of paper with a picture of Jesus on one side and lines on the other, and asked us to think about and write down our feelings about our Savior. While we did that, she played songs about Christ. Initally, I thought "wow, that is a great time filler" but there was seriously a special feeling in the room.

As I turned my thoughts to the Savior, the Spirit immediately filled my soul with warmth and comfort. This is one of the first times I have FOCUSED on how I feel toward Jesus Christ and His love and His atoning sacrifice. I took that sheet of paper to work to keep in my drawer, so when I am searching for things and come across it or if I just need a boost, it is right there to remind me of how loved I am and to keep myself focused on Christ-like qualities.

Leila is also turning "spiritual" (as much as a 19 month old can be.) She LOVES to pray. She folds her arms and says "pwayew?" (prayer?) Then waits while you say a quick prayer, then says 'Amen' at the right time. She always reminds us to pray at dinner. Kuso and I have gone through times where we are good to say family (couple) prayers and times where we just don't. (Sad, I know, but honest.) With him out of town so much, it's hard to keep the habit going. But I told him that we need to take advantage of Leila's interest in prayer now and make family prayer a priority. He agreed. So hopefully, we can do that each and every day he is home, and even when he is gone when timing is appropriate - we can maybe do it over the phone. (If I'm not driving or if he isn't surrounded by the guys watching basketball or whatever.)

Zzzzz

2011-04-20T08:23:00.003-06:00

YEP! I slept from about 10:45 until I finally rolled out of bed at 6:45ish...here, I'll do the math for you...that is 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep! Thank you Leila. And PLEASE, do that more often.

Brooklyn's Birthday!

2011-04-18T11:34:00.004-06:00

Saturday April 16th Leila went to her very first birthday party (that is not family or because the adults are friends...) Brooklyn is Leila's church friend. She turned 2! The party was at Brook's house. They had a Minnie Mouse theme. We had BBQ lunch, the kids played, Brook opened presents, we ate cake and ice cream, then we all went home to give the munchkins naps! Above: Leila with her mouse ears...and candy necklace.

Below: Check out her hair! She held still long enough for me to put 6 elastics in!!! Her hair looked SO cute. It was lots cuter when it was still wet before it got out of control looking, but I was impressed with how cute it was for the party! Above: Leila and Brooklyn in the wagon. One of the other girls and her parents had walked to the party and brought this wagon. The rest of the kids thought it was a great play toy. Brooklyn happens to have the SAME wagon, so they got theirs out, and some of the dads ran around the yard with the girls in the wagon. The girls were LOVING it. The dads tired out WAY faster than any of the kids tired of being bounced around the yard. Leila spent LOTS of time playing in and out of the wagon. Even during the present opening, Leila was playing by herself in the wagon. Silly girl. Below: Brook wasn't too interested in opening her presents. She kept walking between the chair her mom had set up, and these lounge chairs to sit to open her presents. Above: It cracks me up that at these young ages, the kids love to be around each other, but don't really know how to play WITH each other. These two both played with balls when we first got there, but they didn't play together. At any given time, all the kids were at different places around the yard doing their own thing, but they all had fun!

Leila, Brooklyn, and Hadlee eating lunch.

These 3 girls are all in nursery at church together. I also serve in the Young Women's presidency with both of their mothers. Brooklyn and Hadlee are both adopted. Leila looks like she is adopted until her dad comes around! These three love to see each other at church. Hadlee is the oldest and turned 2 in February, then Brook in April, then Leila will be 2 in September. They will probably be in different school classes, but will always be in the same church class. I'm glad that Leila has friends her same age to grow up with.

Changing of the Guard

2011-04-14T07:47:00.002-06:00

In a previous post, I related the order of whom Leila prefers to go to. Second to the bottom was grandma, then me. Well, things have apparently changed. Now Grandma is on the top of the list (unless daddy is there...I'm sure he is still top.) The past few days, Leila only wants grandma. Last night, we slept at my parents house to cut half the commute in the morning to drop her at the sitters house. She was a cry baby all evening (she has been messing up her nap routine and it shows). She finally calmed down after I gave her some Tylenol and rocked with her while she ate some crackers...but that wasn't good enough. She wanted grandma. Soon enough, she was dead to the world. I went to bed and within a couple of hours, Leila was out of the crib and in bed with me. Fine. Until 4am rolls around and she had scooted herself so close to me that I couldn't roll over, so I moved her over about 8 inches. Well, that set her off and she screamed...and screamed...and screamed. My dad gets up for work at that time so he heard her, brought a sippy cup down and offered to take her. Leila responded with a "NO!" then said "bomma..." through tears. Soon after that, my mom came down, took Leila, and she immediately stopped crying. What a brat! Mom sat with her for a little bit. I asked Leila if she wanted to go back to bed with me. She says yes, so we go to lay down. (Cue crying.) So I took her back to grandma and she slept with her for the rest of the night (all hour that was left before my mom had to get up for work.) SUCH a BRAT! Besides all that, my brother is trying to sleep through all this. He already complains about sleeping because of my dad's snoring, so this just added to it. Sorry 'bout it! Lesson: Leila never gets to sleep at grandma's house ever again. Ok, that will never happen, but I guess I just have to deal with the commute every morning until she learns to be a better sleeper. Ugh. Interestingly enough, she sleeps better when daddy is home... **2 nights ago Leila took control of my hand and put it in and out of the popcorn bowl. One time was to my mouth, next time was to hers. She did this for a couple of minutes. She used my hand to share popcorn with both of us. It made me chuckle...

Monday Funnies

2011-04-13T08:09:00.002-06:00

So Monday night, my parents were over at my house because my mom was helping me tie a quilt and my dad was going to entertain the Bug. While we were in the kitchen, Leila walked in with her blanket, laid down, looked at us over her shoulder, said "night night", then laid down. After a couple of seconds she proceeded to fake snore...long, slow, loud snores. Not the quick ones most kids make when they pretend to snore. She seriously sounded like she was sleeping. Then she "woke up" after about 5 or 6 rounds of snoring and went on playing. A little while later, she was sitting at the table with us while I was sewing part of the blanket. She was playing with some spools of thread. Each time she would pick one up, she would say "Oh geez." Then put it down and do that over and over with 3 different colors. It was so random that it was that much more funny. I can truly say that this stage is my favorite. It's definitely more work than other stages have been, but it's more interactive and WAY more funny. (btw....see how good my dad is at watching her while my mom and I are busy?) It seems like he is a flake, but truth be told, he is so good to that little girl. He plays and plays and plays with her, reads her books, changes diapers, gives her snacks, gives her baths, snuggles with her, dances with her, sings with her (much to the chagrin of others.) Thanks dad for being a good babysitter. Actually, thanks to my mom and brother too...they are such a huge support system to me and Leila while Kuso is out of town (and even when he is in town!) Now if I can just find and keep my camera close by so I can show pictures of these funny moments....

Leila

2011-04-12T10:58:00.002-06:00

My little bug is almost 19 months old now! Just thought I would take a quick minute to update with some of her silliness.A month ago I put her hair in piggy tails for the first time. They were cute. Didn't last long, but cute. She has worn them a couple of times since...don't last long, but they are dang cute while they do.

My little baby isn't such a baby anymore...she is definitely more on the side of a little girl now. She chit chats all day long, but more recently, we can decipher some of what she says. bup bup = sippy cup bawk bawk = chicken (basically anything to eat) weeb woo = love you (says it mostly when she talks to daddy on the phone or when she is going to sleep at night.) night night = night night pweese? = please tay you = thank you awemuss = awesome hot daw = hot dog beebee = baby (that she whispers every time) poopoo = poo poo (she usually goes to a corner or in another room, comes back and reaches toward her diaper with her legs bent and says it. Lately, she has started laying down ready to get her diaper changed - we are lovin that.) Is that a sign she is ready to start potty training? dodo = koko (as in koko Samoa. Yes, she drinks it. Yes, she loves it. Yes, she is her father's child.) Ew = Ew (mostly if someone farts, or if she picks her nose. smart girl huh?) Doy = Troy (which she yells down the stairs at my parents house) dabba dabba = Gabba Gabba (as in YO! - all you moms know what I'm talking about.) Shhh - with her finger to her lips. Other words she says (or variations of but most people can figure out what she is saying) = turtle, purple, NO, up, hot, many animal sounds, and more and more each day becoming understandable. Although she doesn't communicate fully with words, she can definitely communicate and get her point across. She is VERY independent. Wants to walk up and down stairs without help, standing up, and sometimes not holding on to anything. Has started jumping off of small elevations. Gives kisses to most who come or leave the house. Loves "high fives and bump it". LOVES to dance. She just can't control herself sometimes with her shoulder shakes. She laughs a lot. Surprisingly very quiet most of the time...just wanders around playing with things here and there. Started to do somersaults on her own - correctly. She is VERY strong. Has EXTREMELY good balance. Starts to try to comb her own hair. Learning to "clean up." Very good at copying people's actions. Takes things to the garbage. Understands most of what we ask her to do (basic stuff.) LOVES to go to nursery. LOVES to go to the babysitter. LOVES to be around people. She gets very bored at home and when she gets bored she gets bratty. Wants to be outside as much as possible. Knows that grandpa is the one who takes her to feed the fish in his pond in the back yard (also where she learned "turtle.") If we are with my family, this is who Leila goes to in this order: Daddy, Grandpa, Uncle Troy, Grandma, then if no one else is available, then me. I'm glad she is willing to have other people hold her and take care of her. It makes life so much easier for me. At night when she goes to sleep (in her big girl bed that she has been in for the past 6-8 months) she wants me to lay down with her. She lays down, grabs her blanky and doggy, then points at the pillow next to her for me to lay down. Then comes a series of kisses and "weeb woo" exchanges. Then she eventually rolls to her left side then falls asleep. Although I wish I could just lay her down and have her fall asleep without me there, I cherish those moments. Being a working mom, I only spend a few hours a day with her. So that 10-30 minutes of laying beside her, letting her know that I'm there for her no matter what, is priceless. Leila is so smart, so sweet, so funny, so active, so brave, so strong, so silly, so creative, so beautiful, so athletic,...I'm so blessed to be her mom. She brings such a sweet Spirit when she is around. I said before, she is my Mary Poppins baby, "Practically Perfect in Every Way." Love you Leila bug.

Samoa (Final Final...maybe)

2011-04-04T08:40:00.002-06:00

Air New Zealand gives all the kids a backpack full of goodies. It was a little stuffed animal ball thing, a writing tablet that you pull the page up and it erases, and a coloring book with stickers and colored pencils. The one on the way there, we just put away and gave it to Kuso's nieces and nephew. The one on the way back, she got before we got on the plane. She was playing with 2 kids who were a little older than her and since they were wearing theirs, she wanted to wear her. It looked so dang cute....like she was headed off to school...I can only imagine how soon that day will come.

She is such a doll...and yes, I would think that even if I wasn't her mother.

btw...another cool thing about Air New Zealand is when they saw we had a "baby" they brought us some wipes and diaper cream so we had some handy during the flight. Pretty cool.

Samoa (FINAL)

2011-04-01T11:18:00.003-06:00

Just random pictures documenting our final day in Samoa...Above and Below: Yes, that is what you think it is. 4 buckets of it growing behind a real (non illegal plant) to help keep it hidden...Geez...

Above: Levi cooking in the outdoor kitchen.

Below: This is how curly Leila's hair was on a daily basis. It was SO dang cute.

Above: Toetu's mom and our mom. This is a cool picture for Alofa's family to have because it has both grandma's in the same picture. Plus, I love that Nuga is actually smiling!

Below: Leila, Palepa (Atonio's wife), Lupe. Palepa talked to me quite a bit during this trip. The past trips she hasn't said much, but we spent more time at the house this time, so obviously we spent more time with the family. It was nice to get to know my sister-in-law a little better.

Above: Semi in his church clothes.

Below: Nuga in her church clothes. I'm pretty sure this puletasi was made by grandma. Seriously, so talented.

Above: This is what Voi does all day, every day. Sits at this table and reads church materials. He fits in eating and sleeping too, but if he is awake, this is what he is doing.

Below: Where we slept. Leila and I were on the futon and Kuso was on the couch scooted up to the futon. The firs two nights we slept in one of the actual rooms...too freakin' hot. SO, the rest of the trip we slept out in the big common room with everyone else.

By the windows you can see tarps rolled up (kind of like a camp trailer.) The last night we actually had to drop the tarps because the rain was coming down so hard. But as soon as the rain stops, you need to put the tarps back up or it gets WAY hot and muggy.

Above: Kuso's good friend, wife, and Leila. The last night there, these guys, Keli & Imi, and some of the family sat out in the back talking, drinking koko, and laughing. We stayed up REALLY late, but when we were going to sleep, Kuso had the biggest smile, gave me a hug, and told me that he had SO much fun that night.

Below: Mom and Dad. It's not often you get both of these in a picture, dressed in nice clothes, and looking at the camera. I'll be making prints of this for Kuso's family.

Above: Leila and Grandpa. Grandpa Voi LOVES this little girl. While he would be eating, studying, watching TV, anything, he would randomly call her name for her to come over. He would pick her up, kiss her, then send her on her way again. Voi always sits at the head of the table. I looked down the hall one day and saw Leila in his chair and he was sitting on the bench beside her. She definitely knows how to wrap people around her cute little fingers.

Kuso also enjoyed being with his father. He said several times that he wishes he could live with him now that he is calm and loving. Growing up, Kuso's dad was very loud, demanding, hard working, and sometimes mean. There were not loving words exchanged. They knew they were loved, but it was never expressed. Voi has softened up a lot the past few years and Kuso wishes he could be around more to enjoy that side of his father.

Above: Semi and Nuga in their school uniform.

Below: Leila enjoying a bowl of sapasui before we head off to the airport.

If I haven't said it in previous posts, this trip was MUCH different than my last trips. We spent more time with the family and we spent more time living the local life and not being so "touristy." Because we had Leila, I was more aware of "gross" things like worms on the floor, cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, wild dogs, lizards, etc. Also because of Leila, we were more aware of a food schedule. Past trips we would come and go as we pleased and eat when it was convenient. You can't tell an 18 month old to wait, so we always had to be prepared for that too.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have had to visit Samoa. For the chance it has given me to see where Kuso is from, how he was raised, and develop an understanding and appreciation for different aspects of their culture. (not just the fun side of dancing and food!) I'm grateful that we were able to set aside the money for Kuso to visit his homeland. I'm grateful that even though she won't remember it, that Leila had the opportunity to meet her cousins and aunties/uncles that live in Samoa and may never travel to the states.

Although this was not the relaxing tropical vacation that most people think Samoa would be, I hope that someday we will be able to take our entire family again, when our kids are old enough to remember and appreciate the beauty of Samoa.

2011-04-01T11:05:00.002-06:00

This was our last Sunday at church. Above: In the background is the wall to the chapel. We are standing in the Relief Society/Sunday School room. It is outdoors with just a roof and pillars. The baptismal font is just to the side, also outdoors. We were taking a picture of Kuso with the lady in purple (Apelu's mom - one of Kuso's good friends here) and everyone else jumped in the picture. But since she is in the picture, I'll tell you about the older lady. She is like a mid-wife or something. One day when we were at the church playing volleyball, I was walking around with Leila and she was in one of the classrooms with a girl laying on the floor, with her shirt pulled up and pants pulled low so she could feel her stomach. Later, there was a different girl in there, so I'm just putting that together thinking that she must be doing a little prenatal care for these soon-to-be mothers. Plus, she has the sweetest looking face. And she is the grandma to Keli (the girl who married Imi.)

Below: Sister Finau. Her daughter is serving in the Provo, Utah mission, so we brought a package back to her. She also gave me some shell earrings.Above: Lisa, Leila, Keli

Below: Kuso, Leila, Keli, ImiKuso and the guys. The guy on the far right had his mission call to San Jose, California and was leaving in early April.

Right behind them is the baptismal font. There is a gate around it to help keep the kids out of it, but the gate is not usually locked and the volleyball sometimes ends up inside, so access needs to be available to get it out.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-31T12:36:00.003-06:00

This is just a bunch of random pictures that aren't really related in any story, but wanted to post them anyway....enjoy.Above: I asked Kuso's mom if she could sew a puletasi (Samoan dress) for Leila before we left. I even told her to make it a little big so she could grow into it next year because we had already bought a dress that should fit her this summer. Well, this is what she came up with. She just looked at her, pulled this old material out, and sewed it. She is so talented. I watched her in the past sew three puletasies for Kuso's nieces in the morning before we were going to leave. She also sewed another skirt that is orange with purple flowers that is a little bigger that will fit her later on.

Below: Leila LOVES to be thrown in the air...and I have been around on several different occasions when Kuso's high tosses have caused other people to gasp. He does throw her quite high, but she loves every second of it. This is on her way down...she was just slightly higher than this.

Above: Just a shot of the side yard at Kuso's house. This is the laundry system. In the back (that old shack looking thing) is where they do a lot of the big cooking. Just behind the red/pink shirt is where the outdoor shower is. This is a common look among all of the houses in Samoa.

Below: This little girl wanted to see the "palagi" girl. So her mom brought her to see Leila. I don't think she was too impressed since their hair and eyes are the same color...Leila is just slightly lighter skinned. I thinks he was more impressed with me with my white skin, lighter hair, and lighter eyes.

Above: Atonio's old truck that gets him to the plantation (when it doesn't have a flat tire.) There were tires for this truck in the box that got stuck with all of our stuff in it.

Below: Down the street (across the corner from where we rented our car - $100 tala per day = $130 US dollars for 3 days...not too bad) is where Kuso's good friends lived. Kuso said, "Let me take a picture of this...that is where Josh and Burton lived." I think sometimes he is starting to think like a blogger. :) I think it was more to show them this store that has been built on the corner. And since their wives look at this blog, here it is.

Krissy's is the name of the store. I didn't go inside, but in every other market, they have Krissy brand snacks (chips, corn puffs, etc.) YUM. Very crispy and good flavor.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-30T12:57:00.005-06:00

Friday before we came home was election day. Most businesses were closed to allow the public to get out and vote. We also used this day to drive to the other side of the island to see where the tsunami hit in September 2009. This is one of the lines people were waiting in to vote. There were houses like this all along the island set up as voting locations. EVERY location had a long line like this. We took Kuso's mom into town where we were told it was a less busy location. Well, we still waited close to an hour for her to get her turn to vote. Then we were on our way to the beach. It was kind of patriotic to see so many people interested in exercising their right to vote.Above and Below: Pictures of the thick greenery along the drive. I just love coastal shots like this that show the greenery with the ocean in the back.

This is the only picture I took of the tsunami aftermath. It didn't feel right to stop and take pictures of the destruction that was caused by the tsunami in September 2009. Driving along the road, it was apparent where the tsunami hit. There were sections where the waves clearly hit, washing away homes, cars, people, animals, and any form of plant life out into the ocean. Then there were sections that were not affected as the homes were still in tact and the scenery was plush and green. As we drove through the tsunami area, there was a somber feeling knowing that nearly 140 people lost their lives in that disaster.

It was also kind of refreshing to see that people had rebuilt new houses and continued on with their lives despite the devastation surrounding them.

Part of the tsunami grounds was Lalomanu beach. I also visited this beach during past visits. It has nice sand, and these little fales that you rent for $30 tala for the day. I especially was anxious to take pictures to see if/how the tsunami changed the view from the beach. In comparing the new to the old pictures, everything is practically the same. I'm not sure how hard this part of the beach was hit, but everything has been cleaned up nicely.Leila loves the beach. Not the sand, but just being outside in the warm, and she loves the water.Above:From the beach fale, looking down to the left.Above: From the middle of the beach, looking to the right with the ocean behind me, the row of fales. The nice ones to the right I think are for guests who stay there overnight. The other ones we used are just for day visitors. You can also see where they have planted new coconut trees.

Below: Same view, just more towards the water.

Below: From the beach, ocean to my back, looking to the left.The total trip around the island takes around 4 hours. Hard to really keep track of time, but the average speed is around 30 mph +/-. The speed limit is 30-35, but with the conditions of some of the roads, you usually go a little slower.Above: one of 4 or 5 baby pigs that follow mommy pig around. These babies will become dinner some day, but the mom is a pet. The funny thing is that all 5 babies look different. Different colors and patterns. They were pretty cute. This little guy just fell asleep on the grass in the open.

These are mini bananas. They taste pretty much like normal bananas. We tried to keep bananas around because Leila usually likes them. This is one of the first Samoan words that Leila uses. "Fa'i." Sometimes she points, says "nana (pause) fa'i." Kuso's family loved to hear her say Samoan words in the right context.

She also uses "uma" (finished, done) when her drink is gone or the food is gone. She says "aua" (stop it) when she is about to do something she is not supposed to, but then usually stops herself and just points at something she was going to touch.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-30T12:37:00.005-06:00

Just off the side of the main road there is a sea turtle pond. It is free to go to. They just put the sea turtles in this pond to protect them. I don't think they bring all of them here, because there are still some "wild" ones in the ocean, but there are quite a few in this pond.

Above: The view of the pond from where we parked the car. During past trips, we have just pulled off the side of road and looked at it from there. This trip we pulled to the inside and went to the "beach" where we could get a closer look.

"Turtle" in Samoan is "laumei."

This is one of the first Samoan words that I learned and it stuck with me the first time.

I have been able to visit this pond on every visit to Samoa. The first trip we had Kuso's niece and nephew with us. Nuga was about 4 at that time. When she saw the turtles, she started yelling "laumei! laumei!" So now, when I see a turtle, that's what I think. Above: From the beach, looking to the left.

Below: From the beach, looking to the right. Below: From the beach, looking across toward the road. It is just mesmerizing to watch the turtles in the water. They are so peaceful and elegant. And the coloring on their shells is so awesome. Kuso's dad has a shell of a turtle that they killed to eat when Kuso was just a young kid. Kuso remembers eating it and said it was the best meat he has ever tasted. I would think otherwise, but he said it was amazing. (btw...it was NOT against the law at that time...since then, they now protect the turtles.) Anyway, I wanted to bring that shell home to put on our wall. It is beautiful, plus it would be a very cool cultural item to have. Well, because turtles are protected, you cannot bring anything involving turtles through customs (shells, earrings, meat, creams with turtle oils (?) etc.) So the lady at customs said "enjoy it while your there, because that is where it will stay."

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-30T12:28:00.003-06:00

Church College of Western Samoa

(CCWS)

This is where Kuso went to school. In Samoa "college" is equivalent to what we call "high school."

The school is right next to the temple grounds and is sponsored by the LDS church. From what Kuso has explained over the years, it's kind of like a mini BYU. You have to apply to get in. When Kuso was accepted, he had to cut his hair short (used to be all the way down his back) and basically live the church standards.

Kuso is not here to tell me what these pictures are, so I'll try to go off of memory of comments he made. The school has changed since we were there last (4+ years ago.)Above: There used to be a gymnasium ahead. That is torn down and they rebuilt a new one. When we drove past the new one, it was in a weird place to take a picture of so we didn't get one.

Below: The classrooms. The building behind is what I remember walking through where the actual classrooms are. There are also signs posted that say "speak in English only please." Hence the reason why all of the Samoan guys who went to this school speak English far better than the guys who went to a regular high school (if they went at all.)

Above: That fale (house) in the back is new. I'm assuming it's for meetings, or maybe the "stage" for assemblies. I'm not sure...Kuso just kept saying that it was new.

Below: More shots of the classrooms ( I think.)

Kuso was impressed with the changes that were made. There is also a pretty big library on the other side where the gymnasium is.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-28T11:36:00.004-06:00

"I love to see the temple..."

I was excited for this trip because I actually had a recommend this time and Kuso told me that they do endowment sessions with English translation. I was really excited for Kuso to be able to go through the temple in his native language again, and for me to experience something different. We got to Samoa on Thursday, went to church Sunday and learned that it would be closed for the next two weeks for maintenance. Bummer. But we were still able to see it from outside the gates and get a few pictures.

Seriously, my pictures of the Samoa temple are prettier than the ones they sell at the distribution centers. Maybe I should sell them to the church. The last trip I took a gorgeous picture that is now blown up and on my living room wall. These pictures are actually prettier because the landscaping have grown in better, but the last picture had a pretty blue sky for a background. More pretty flowers that grow over there.

This was awesome. In the states, we use bark to beautify our flower beds. As I walked past, I noticed that these were coconut shells that had been chopped up. Pretty cool (and resourceful.)

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-28T11:21:00.004-06:00

One day we just drove around Apia taking pictures of things. This is where the fafafine pageant was going to be held. I didn't realize the dates until it was too late, but we could have gone in person to watch the silliness of that. (Fafafine (not completely sure that is spelled right) is a gay guy that dresses up like a girl.) We actually stopped by the restaurant because Kuso was hoping to speak to the owner who also owns one of the big hotels in American Samoa where he used to dance. These next few pictures are also for Kuso. He took pictures of the scaffold. That is what he builds for a job, so it was interesting for him to see a large building being built with the help of scaffold. Plus, this is a HUGE building for Samoa. H-U-G-E. We never got a clear answer of what it is going to be either.

Above: An old court house.

Below: The new court house.

It was kind of awesome to see this underdeveloped country becoming more "civilized." There were actually stories on the news about kids being charged for crimes (this case was a child molestation case) that happened when he was 17 and now he is 19. The reports were about how to handle the case, whether to treat him as an adult or as a juvenile. This may not interest many of you, but because of what I do for a job, it was VERY interesting to me...especially in a country that is so jam packed with tradition and culture that to see them handling a case like this in a civil manner was very interesting.

Also, a side note to remind myself: There were a few sandwich signs along the side of the road that said "Say no to rape and other indecent acts." I'm wondering if it was in relation to this case, or if that is becoming more of a problem over there and this is an attempt to educate the public. I saw both signs on opposite sides of the island, so it wasn't localized. Just interesting.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-25T11:45:00.004-06:00

Kuso really wanted to show us the plantation during this trip. The previous post showed the small plantation that is just a short walk from their house. This is their big plantation. I was just amazed at how thick and green everything is. And that they don't get lost. I was SO twisted around as we drove there. Above: this is the road leading toward the plantation.
Most of these pictures just show the thick, green, jungle.

Above: Eggplant - Kuso's favorite

Below: Super Mom coming back with a bunch of bananas. Those suckers are heavy. She chopped them with that big knife, then carried them back (with ease) from deep inside those trees. Amazing. This is the house where Kuso's brother and wife stay when they come to the plantation. They used to sleep there for most of the time, but now Atonio has an old truck that takes them back and forth, so they don't spend many nights there anymore.

I started to follow Kuso down one of the paths just to see how deep the plantation goes. I had to go back. The mosquitoes were ridiculous and I was being eaten alive. Made me wonder if Survivor provides their contestants with insect repellent because there is no way those little white girls spent that much time on this same island and didn't get eaten alive. NO way.

Beautiful.

This is the toilet. Yep, just out in the open. But who is going to see you? I'm not sure it's working...but I didn't want to get close enough to see.

This is the Teuila plant. This is a very special plant...not sure the meaning or the reason, but every September they have a Teuila festival, named after this plant. It is so pretty.

Just imagine...Kuso's cousins used to live not very far from this area. They used to WALK ALL the way through this thick, green, jungle to the main road to catch the bus to go to school. It took us an easy 20 minutes driving to get there from Kuso's house. Then the school is another 20+ minute DRIVE in the opposite direction once you get to the main road. Imagine how long these kids spent walking just to get to school. I'm not much of a girlie girl, but I think life growing up there could have been rough...especially for those families that have houses a long distance off the main roads where the buses can help get you to where you want to go.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-25T11:30:00.003-06:00

During this part of the trip, we had a rental car for a few days. This time we stopped by another bank to cash in some more money. While in line, Kuso looks over and sees yet another classmate.Then outside, he looks over and sees another classmate and "ex-girlfriend." After song practice, Kuso's mom decided to join in the volleyball. This lady amazes me with how active and strong she is. She is in her 60's and she does not sit still the entire day. She works at the house, in the yard, at the plantation, does all her church involvements, cooks, cleans, takes care of dad, takes care of the kids, laundry, and the list goes on. I guess I can see what we have to look forward to with Kuso's energy level.

Below: Keli and Imi. Imi is Kuso's cousin/close friend. My last two trips down there we have spent a lot of time with him, so it was a friendly face for me to be reunited with. These two were just married a couple weeks before we got there. They are hoping to be able to move to Utah in a few years.

In the village next to Kuso's, there is a swimming pool. It is fresh water that has been somewhat blocked off from the ocean. The ocean water still merges with this water, but the water is more fresh. Not so salty and tight on your skin when you get out. We weren't there very long because that village had started their sa'a (?) - this is when everyone is supposed to go home to have family prayer and quiet time with their families. When the bell rings, you head for home. When the bell rings a while later, you can go back out. During that time, you need to be in the house and quiet. No walking or messing around. We thought we would be okay since we weren't splashing around and making noise, but the man knew we were there so he came and asked us to leave.

Below: Taken from the side of the swimming pool toward the ocean. I love how calm and peaceful sunsets can be.

Grandma with her two youngest granddaughters.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-24T12:20:00.005-06:00

Almost every day, we went to the church so Kuso could play volleyball. I actually enjoyed going because Leila could run around and play with other kids. Also, the way their church was designed, where I sat offered a slight breeze and it was so refreshing. You can't see it from this picture, but the back part of the church has 2 levels. If I sat right next to the railing, on the volleyball court side, there was a nice breeze, plus I could see where Leila was playing and see the volleyball. We seriously went to the church for volleyball nearly every day we were there.Every LDS church in Samoa is white, with blue trim. Very classy looking.This is the volleyball/basketball court. Just to the side of the chapel. It is concrete, but much nicer than anywhere else they have to play. On Monday's, this is overrun with missionary's for their Prep-Day. It was fun(ny) to see the white Elders from the states put their gym clothes on because then their tan lines from their white shirts were VERY prominent. This wall leads up to the gates of the volleyball court. Behind it is the chapel. Leila thought it was really fun to walk up and down this wall. It freaked me out a little, but Kuso kept a close watch. I took this picture from my second floor perch. This is looking away from the chapel, toward Kuso's house (well, the road leading to Kuso's house.) I just thought it was pretty with the coconut trees, the ocean, and the rainbow.
This is Kuso's auntie/uncles house. It is considered a nice house here, but for over there, man, this thing is NICE. I would love to see the inside, but it is just nice. Everyone always comments about how nice this house is. It is right next to the volleyball court.This is the yard to that nice house. This is the yard between that last picture and right in front of that nice house. You can kind of see the rainbow in this shot too. Kuso's house is basically straight behind those trees. If you were to walk right in the middle of this picture and go straight, you would be at his house (mostly.)

These two pictures were taken directly across the street from the chapel. I took about 4 steps off the side of the road to take these pictures. Plus the sun was starting to set, so the lighting makes it that much prettier.All of these flower pictures were taken at Kuso's uncles (?) house that lives right next to the street, right down the small road from Kuso's house. These are all wild plants that just grow there. Awesome.

Kuso got this coconut from the trees along the shoreline. Basically, the trees directly in front of your family property are your family's. So anyone from that property can get the coconuts. But if you go down the street where it's not your property anymore, you should not be getting any coconuts from the trees. This coconut was brought down by throwing rocks. That kind of amazes me because when I picked that one off the small tree in front of the house, it was kind of hard to get off. So just by throwing rocks and having this coconut fall was awesome. (speaking of throwing rocks...one of the first nights we were there, Kuso and his brothers ate a bat. YES. A bat! They just kill it with a sling shot. I'm not sure if that one had been in the freezer, or if it was fresh, but he showed it to me and that was way too much...gross, but true.)

Also, most people don't know that coconuts come in a shell that has to be taken off before you get to the actual coconut that we all know. And yes, there is still another shell (the furry one) that you have to get through to get the fruit and/or milk. These things are pretty big.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-23T12:43:00.003-06:00

This day we made a trip into Apia to do some shopping and get Leila something good to eat (ie McDonald's.) :)

To get to town, we just walk out the door, wait by the side of the road, and wait for a bus to come by. We get on the bus, ride into town, and pay on your way off the bus. When the buses get full, children sit on parents laps, people stand, or they might just sit on your lap. But it's fun to watch the young kids know to get up and sit on their parents to give someone else a seat. If an older person or a woman comes on the bus, the teens and younger people in the bus give up their seats to let them sit. Very nice.

These pictures are the view from the street in front of Kuso's house waiting for the bus.

Above: Looking slightly to the left (toward the airport)

Below: Looking slightly to the right (toward Apia)Above: Looking just slightly around the side of the road to the right. I love seeing these little tiny fishing boats head out into the huge ocean. It freaks me out, but it amazes me too.

Below: The Bus - kind of like a short bus in the states.At the market in Apia, all the taxi's and buses go to the drop off point. It is crazy busy there. The buses just park in a line and wait til they get full, then they leave. There is no bus schedule. You just have to wait for it. And make sure you are getting on a bus that will go past the village you are trying to get to. Old wooden benches. No air conditioning. But it's kind of fun. (all the taxi's in Samoa are white.) Most of the taxi's and the buses have fake fur dash covers and extra mirrors and all types of things hanging from the top of the car to decorate and make it look cool.

While in town, we went to a bank to trade some more money from U.S. dollars to Samoan tala. During this trip, the conversion rate was $2.30 tala for each $1 US dollar. At the bank, Kuso ran into an old classmate.

Yes, we ate at McDonald's. Yes, it tastes the exact same as it does in the states. No, it is not the same price. Kuso ate a meal, his mom ate a meal, and Leila and I shared a meal...it came to $50 tala. That is almost $22 US. Still, that's a lot of money. While we were there, Kuso saw some more classmates.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-23T12:28:00.002-06:00

When I tell people that in Samoa, most of the showers are outside and that there is only one temperature of water (meaning no hot water), most of them can't believe it. Well, here are the pics to prove it! As you can see it is just PVC pipe and it comes out whatever temperature it is at in the ground. Kind of like the hose water in the summer. That first little bit is kind of warm, but after that, basically chilly.

In my past trips and the first couple days of this trip, I used the indoor shower. It's just made of cement so it's kind of dark and gloomy. A few years ago I took an outdoor shower at a girl's camp in the middle of the day. It was AMAZING. Ever since then, I've wanted an outdoor shower at my house just for those hot summer days. So I decided I wanted to try the outdoor shower in Samoa since the weather definitely warrants having an outdoor shower. BUT, my first experience with an outdoor shower was basically like the indoor showers in Samoa...just made of cinder block and had a shower curtain, just open to the top. But not in Samoa...there it is ALL open. So...I decided my first experience better be at night time so in case something went wrong, I wasn't COMPLETELY out in the open, literally.

So, you just wrap an ie lava lava around you and go at it. Just bring an arm inside with your soap and wash away. When you wash your hair, the ie is wet so it just clings to you. And yes, I even shaved this way. After you are done, you have to be tricky to wrap a towel around you, then drop the wet ie without dropping your towel. I was getting pretty good at it by the time we left, but that was always the most awkward part. It was so nice and refreshing, and truthfully, your time in the shower is the only time you feel that way. Once you turn the water off and get back inside to get dressed, you are hot and sticky again. Kuso was so proud that I was acting even more Samoan that he had to take pictures of me in the shower....nice. But it's great. Truly great. Probably my favorite part of spending time in Samoa.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-22T13:32:00.002-06:00

Kuso's brother Atonio has a daughter, Lupe, that is 3 weeks younger (Sept 14-Oct 8) than Leila. Lupe spends a lot of time at her mom's parents house, so we didn't get to see her for the first few days we were there. This is the day when Lupe came to stay with her parents for a while. I thought with Leila being half but bigger and Lupe being full blooded they would be close to the same size. Not. Leila is a monster next to Lupe. Above: Lupe, Semi, Nuga, Leila

Below: Look how big Leila is next to Lupe. This is a little distorted because Lupe is leaning, but look how skinny Lupe is and how much taller Leila is. Side Note: This cement that we are sitting on in these pictures is the graves of Kuso's grandparents. When I first learned about this, it was very weird to me that they would have family members buried in their yard. This is right next to the house. Kuso said that when they were young, him and his siblings would sleep on them with their mom when they were being missed. Kind of weird for those of us that don't do things that way, but kind of awesome to know that they are always near by. This kiss looks a little forced, but truly, it wasn't. They actually would just walk up to each other and wave and kiss throughout the week. They also learned to fight with each other. One particular time, they were both walking toward each other, they bumped into each other and Lupe fell down. Leila pointed at her. I think Leila was pointing because Lupe was crying. Uncle Levi aka "crazy" kept laughing that Leila was pointing at Lupe because "Lupe did it. It wasn't me." Either way, it WAS kind of funny.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-22T13:19:00.002-06:00

Sunday02/27/11 Nati's "friend?" came to visit. This is Theresa. She was really nice, and later in the trip brought us some gifts. She also drove us around Apia one day to get Leila some juice and snacks and to just get out of the house.Sunday afternoon we decided to take a quick swim in the ocean. This would be Leila's first experience in non-bath or non-swimming pool water. She LOVED it. The water is so warm there how could you not? Plus she loved to lick the salt off her hands. Also notice the Bongo (chip) on her finger. She loves to eat them now so she can put them on her fingers first. So funny. Doesn't she look so cute in her swimming suit without a diaper? (Remember how we sent the box with all of her swimming diapers in them? Oh well.)This ramp into the ocean is a straight walk down from Kuso's parents house. Not too far, but down a small hill. The best way to get in is to just sit on your butt and slide down the moss. Otherwise, you are going to fall in.Leila loves the ocean. As along as the water doesn't get too close to her face.

(This is the day I noticed that the dates on the camera were wrong, so the rest of the pictures should have accurate dates on them.)

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-22T10:08:00.002-06:00

My little Samoan girl. Seriously, her Samoan blood is so strong. Besides looking like a full blooded Samoan girl, she loves the food, the mosquitoes (mostly) leave her alone (not like me...), she sings, she dances, she is ridiculously strong...she just plays the roll. Kuso LOVES to hear when people say that she looks like a Samoan baby.

The third night we were there (02/26/11), Leila decided to venture out a little. This picture below is the step from the "open" part of the house where the beds, couches, TV, and table are, to the back part of the house. Before this night, she stopped right there and waited for someone to take her. It was a big step and she didn't like going down it. Well, this night she decided to go down it. Again, it was a BIG step, and she fell...right on her head. We were all sitting in the back of the house, heard the thud (yes, her head on concrete) and I went running. She screamed and screamed for maybe 2 minutes. Then she calmed down. It wasn't until a while later that I noticed her head. Check out the pictures....These pictures were taken AFTER she had continued playing and being silly, so I wasn't too concerned about a concusion or anything. There have been several other times that Leila has taken a pretty bad fall and we were SURE that she is going to have a bump or bruise, but it never shows up. So for this bump to be this big, she hit HARD. This next picture was taken just for Leslie. When Kuso realized that there was a big bump on her head, he came back with yes, Vicks Vapor rub. For some reason, these Samoan men think that rubbing that on a bump will make it go away. Well, the bump was still there in the morning, but it definitely didn't hurt it any.

Leila thought the mosquitoe nets were fun.

Just FYI...the bump was STILL there when we got back to Utah a week and a half later. That was a HARD fall. She is so dang tough.

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-17T15:55:00.003-06:00

Before we went to Samoa, we had sent a box down with a bunch of items to help the family. Since we were sending the box early, we decided to send a few items in the box that would make our stay in Samoa easier. Kuso sent a bunch of his clothes he would wear (since it was winter here, no need to use them before then) and we sent a TON of stuff for Leila. Swimming gear, diapers, wipes, water, juice, snacks, blankets, bug spray, etc. WELL...the box got held up in American Samoa because one of the boxes was found to have illegal items in it.

The third day of our trip, we went into town to find out about the box. We found out it would be delivered (anticipated) just a few days after we were scheduled to leave. SO, that meant we had to spend a LOT of money buying water, juice, snacks, diapers, wipes, bug spray, etc in Samoa. (not cheap...) So when we got back from our trip to town, we went to the small plantation just a short walk from their house. Kuso wanted to get some coconuts to put in the freezer so we would have some cold drink later.

I just love coconut trees. They are so pretty, and so simple. I love them.

This is Levi's taro plantation that he recently planted.

Just some fun pictures to show how thick the "jungle" is. It is so green everywhere you turn.

Above: Kuso getting ready to climb a coconut tree for the first time in almost 4 years. My brother challenged him that he didn't think he could do it anymore. Well, he did. But, let's just say that his feet are somewhat "Americanized" as his feet were sore for the next day or two. (Playing volleyball on the concrete later in bare feet or flimsy slippers didn't help either.) It also uses WAY different muscles than we use on a daily basis. It was a little harder for him, but he could still do it. I LOVE watching him climb.

Below: Almost to the top.

Above: Kuso with his long knife ready to chop down some coconuts.

Below: Leila snuggling with grandma. So sweet.

(05/11/2206 = 02/26/2011)

Samoa (cont.)

2011-03-17T15:14:00.002-06:00

Here are just a few random pics from our second day there. This trip we just spent a lot of time around the house and visiting people in his village. This is the coconut tree in front of the house. Right now it's short enough that even I can pick a coconut from it!Leila LOVED this cat. I'm not a cat person, but I loved this cat too. The markings are so awesome, and the cat is so calm and chill. He let Leila pet him, poke him, hit him, lay next to him, etc. without problem. Occasionally he would bat at her with his paws, but never in a mean way. Plus, he takes care of things around the house. He catches cockroaches and other bugs and eats them. Gross, but the more he eats, the less there are to worry about! We took NUMEROUS photos of Leila chasing and playing with "kitty kitty kitty."This scene was very common. Leila loves to sit on small steps at my parents house, so when she saw grandma sitting on this small step, she sat right down and made herself at home. She sat her a LOT while we were there.

The following image may be offensive to some. Sorry. Deal with it.

So this is how the story goes. I'm sitting on a bench when I hear a small THUD then "squawk." Then again, and again, and again. Yep, dead chickens being dropped onto the concrete. After each drop, they each squawked their last squawk. The red on the chicken is feathers, not blood.

Levi told me to post this picture as "America's Most Wanted."

If you see this man, contact authorities immediately. :)

(05/10/2206 = 02/25/2011)

Samoa Trip Feb 23 - March 8 2011

2011-03-17T12:46:00.005-06:00

This is the first in a long series of posts documenting our amazing trip to Samoa. When we bought our house last year, we filed for the rebate. We agreed when we got the money that we would buy tickets to visit Samoa first since this was the only way we would be able to afford to go for a long time. We also wanted to go before Leila turned 2 so we didn't have to pay for a full price ticket.

We left our house on Wednesday February 23 at 3:00 pm. After 3 flights, 2 layovers, and driving time, we got to Kuso's parents house 31 hours later. We basically had the same trip home so in a total of 6 flights, Leila seriously only cried a grand total of maybe 30 minutes. Seriously. She is such a rock star when it comes to traveling (most of the time.)

We had originally booked a direct flight from Los Angeles to Apia that would have made the trip much shorter, but the flights were getting full and the airline contacted us to see if we would be willing to travel by way of New Zealand. We accepted the change in itinerary so we could go meet Kuso's younger brother Kimball. I have never met him and Kuso has never met his wife. And of course we needed to show Leila off. Well, we got to New Zealand, went through customs to hear that Leila and I were free to leave, but because Kuso was traveling on a Samoa passport, he needed a visa to leave the secured area. That thought never even crossed our minds because we weren't planning on leaving the airport. We were just going to chat for a few minutes, give some gifts, then get back to our flight. So, needless to say, we did not meet Kimball and we accepted the longer flight for no personal benefit. My passport does say I went to New Zealand though.

This is the first night we were there when Leila met more of her daddy's relatives.

Cousins

Semi (9), Alofa (5), Guga (8), Leila (1)

Leila and Grandpa Voi

Leila and Uncle Crazy aka LeviGrandma and Leila (and Kuso)Leila and Uncle Atonio Her first Samoan Style bath. This night, she kind of liked it. The rest of the trip, she HATED it. She screamed the entire time and for about 15 minutes after. We got to a routine where I would get her out, take her to put her diaper on (she got really bad diaper rash so I had to try and put cream on too) while Kuso was throwing out the water, then rush to the room to help control her enough to get her diaper on, then HE would have to take her outside (she was a massive daddy's girl while we were there) until she calmed down, then we would sneak some bug spray and a t-shirt to sleep in on her. Then she would be fine, but during it, it was quite the ordeal.

After the bath thinking she is as big as the other kids. Kuso, Leila, Alofa, and Uncle Logologo

(the dates that say 05/09/2206 is really 02/24/2011 - I noticed that about 3 days into our trip and fixed it then.)

Las Vegas 7's - 2011

2011-03-15T12:54:00.003-06:00

Every year except one since we've been married, Kuso has gone to the International Rugby Tournament. It used to be held in San Diego, CA, but last year, they changed it to Las Vegas, NV. Since it is so close and because I wanted to, I was able to join him this year (and from now on.) We left Friday February 11 after work and stayed in St. George. Left early Saturday morning and went straight to the stadium to watch rugby all day.

After two days of playing these are the final results:

Samoa won the plate over Kenya 26-15

Scottland won the bowl over Canada 19-14

United States won the shield over Japan 19-12

South Africa won the bowl over Fiji 24-14

Kuso and Friends.

Above you can see #4 AIONO! He had just scored. #7 is Uale Mai. He is the BEST. His sister is married to one of Kuso's good friends and classmate. Uale's picture is all over billboards in Samoa!

This is Kuso's hat he designed to show his Samoan Pride.

Me, Ana, Kuso, Whitney, Kuso's friend and some random drunk guy!

Our nieces are gorgeous.

More friends. The guy with the crazy hair in the middle served his mission the same time as Kuso.

More Friends.

More Friends.

I don't know where the picture went I took of Kuso "leading" the Samoan section in cheers and songs while Samoa played in their final game. He lost his voice for the next several days. Because he was so loud and wild, they put him on the big screen several times. Also, after the tournament was over, 3 different groups of people (none of which we knew) came over to take pictures with him. He was a celebrity (of sorts.)

The next weekend, they had a fundraiser for that player, #7 Uale Mai. This is him and Kuso at the fundraiser.

We left Leila home with my parents. It was REALLY hard to leave her knowing we wouldn't see her for 4 days, but it was such a nice break to not be responsible for anything but ourselves. We were able to sleep in, take a nap, enjoy talking to each other, hanging out in Vegas with our close friends the Uta'i's (not sure what happened to those pictures), all without having to worry about diapers or naps or eating schedules. We missed the Leila bug, that that weekend alone was good for our relationship. We plan on doing this every year. A little weekend away, with some fun, without any kids. Thanks mom and dad for helping out so much!

Back From the Future

2011-01-26T11:03:00.003-07:00

Jenie, Carrie, Me

Monday January 24th I went with a couple of friends my my old ward, Jenie Copyak and Carrie McDonough. We met at Desert Star playhouse to watch their current spoof "Back from the Future." Without getting into details, it's about a kid who uses the time machine to go back in time to change the path of his father's life to benefit himself in the future. It was pretty dang funny. There was one part where this girl who was the scientist went on a silly monologue for at least 5 minutes. The audience, the cast, and even herself was rolling with laughter. It was clear that she does something different each night at that moment. Looks like the Desert Star has a pretty good list of plays for this year. I would love to get back to see more of them, so if any of you are interested in going, let me know.

My loving husband was gracious enough to stay home with Leila. Even after he had been home with her all day since he was off work. For those of you who know how busy/active he is, for him to willingly stay home all day and all night to give me a night out is a big deal.

Double Whammy!

2011-01-14T13:43:00.002-07:00

Leila is 16 months old today! She has been fighting a fever and a small cough for a few days. Last night was a VERY rough night. Rough enough that around 2am Kuso and I decided to call my dad to see if he would come over and help Kuso give Leila a blessing. She was restless (and had been for a few days now) and could not relax. When I held her she was stiff as a board and showed no signs of relaxing or snuggling in or going to sleep. She also had this amazing high pitched but short whimper sounding cry. She was definitely not just tired. So this morning we got her in to the doctor.

Yep.
Double Ear Infection.

Happy 16 months! I'll try and post some pics soon.

New Year's 2011

2011-01-07T12:41:00.004-07:00

New Year's Eve was fun. Kuso's cousin has a teenage daughter that he didn't want going out. So last year, he had a "family dance" that she could bring some friends to so that they had something to do, but he also knew what they were doing. This year they had the dance again. It was bigger and better and looks like it's going to stick around for a while. It's nice for those of us with young kids because then we aren't stuck at home, but we get to be with our families too.Happy New Year from the Aiono Family!

Kuso, Kingston, Iafeta, & Burton

Leslie & Lisa

(notice my red face...I was dancing up a storm...)

Lisa & Troy

La & Leila (that's her babysitter in the mornings.)

Leila LOVES La. WE LOVE La. We couldn't ask for a better babysitter.La & Lisa

Tanu, Faioso, Leila, & My DadMatai & Gabe - Burton and Leslie's boys.

Some GENIUS decided to pass out the noise makers about 10 minutes too early.

Kuso & Kingston

Mommy & Leila

We don't really set any resolutions. I've always thought that is a silly idea because most people FAIL at completing or even starting their resolutions. I get ideas of things I would like to improve or start in my life, but I don't ever mention them out loud. (Which is one of the biggest reasons goals don't work. One of the first steps is to put it on paper - make it real - get a support group.) Oh well. I don't need a new year to start for me to realize there are some changes that need to be made in my personal life as well as for our family. Let's just say that recognition is there, and there will hopefully be some action toward fixing that recognition. There, my resolutions are in print.

2010 was a good year and here is to wishing that 2011 will top it!

Say Cheese!

2011-01-06T11:54:00.002-07:00

Leila LOVES to see pictures of herself. She was having a rough night (just whiny) so I pulled the camera out. We took pictures. After each shot, she would grab the camera to look at it. She would laugh so hard (her fake hard laugh. It's hilarious.) Take One
What's mom doing?

I can do that!

Then she laughs. Words cannot express how much fun this little girl is and how much we love her!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T11:33:00.004-07:00

In 1995, some neighbor boys broke into my parents camper and stole our Christmas presents. Stemming from that, we have a family tradition that we stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve, open presents, hang out, then go to bed. Then we get to sleep in on Christmas morning and the day doesn't seem so long. So, in keeping with tradition, we have figured out a way to make that work along with having our own little family Christmas after Santa comes.

We hung out at my parents on Christmas Eve. We ate dinner, we ate snacks, we played games, we watched TV. Then at midnight, we opened all the presents under their tree, which are all trades between my parents, my siblings and their small families, and the gift exchange between my mom's extended side of the family. We were spoiled! We always are. And yes, Leila stayed up until midnight and opened (well, watched us open) her presents. She actually didn't even fall asleep until 1 am when we got in the car to go home.

Once we got home, Leila was knocked out cold, so we put her to bed so Santa could come. When Leila woke up Christmas morning, these are a few of the things that she foundThis dog. She loves it. She walked out, saw it, crouched down and made grabbing motions with her hands, then walked over to it, bent down and kissed it, then hugged it. SO DANG CUTE!

Next she saw the baby doll. She immediately grabbed the bottle and fed her baby.Then she fed herself.
Then she saw the toys that she had opened the night before from Shawn, Michelle, and Kiley. A WONDERFUL guitar and keyboard that are SO quiet you can't even tell they are in the room. (Insert sarcasm here.) One might think that the noisy toys are "payback" for some dress up shoes Kiley got for her birthday that click-clack-click-clack in rapid running pattern across their hardwood floors. However, that was not my intention. Kiley loves shoes. Shawn made it very clear that these toys were bought because Leila loves music so much. (?). Either way, she actually does like them a lot. And unless she hits the "demo" button that keeps the stupid thing running, it's been a fun toy. She LOVES the microphone. She "agh agh agh agh" and blows into it to make loud sounds. But then she laughs and since I LOVE her laugh, it makes the musical instruments tolerable. For now.

The dog got good use. She plays on it.

And sleeps on it.

Christmas is always fun. By far one of the best Holiday's of the year. It's fun to see Kuso get into buying and wrapping and hiding presents from me. Growing up they didn't really have presents for Christmas, so this part of how we celebrate is fun and exciting for him. As long as I give him a list of ideas. He's not so keen on coming up with ideas. But he likes the excitement of surprises, so he really enjoys presents.

It's also fun to hear him talk about his traditions back home. As we drove home late Christmas Eve, he commented about how BORING Christmas is over here. In Samoa, people are up all night, eating and playing volleyball and singing songs and just spending time together. That is what Christmas is to him. He gets to have a little taste of that by playing volleyball on Christmas Eve for a few hours and basketball Christmas morning for a few hours. When our kids are older and can take care of themselves, we might be able to incorporate more of that all day all night party that the Samoan people embrace.

This year as I put up decorations, I decided to leave my two small Christ statues out rather than replacing them with snowmen. It was a good reminder to me each time I walked down the hallway to remember what Christmas is truly about. Although we have fun with presents and dinners and traditions, ultimately, Christmas is about Our Savior and the Love our Savior has for each one of us.

Leila's Trip to Meet Santa...Or Not.

2011-01-06T11:24:00.002-07:00

Saturday December 18, 2010 we took Leila to Valley Fair Mall to meet Santa. We have a neighbor that has a white beard that she likes, so we were HOPING that she would like Santa and we could take a cute picture of her and Santa. Well, us being the geniuses that we are, decided to go to the mall the Saturday before Christmas. Duh. The line to see Santa was at least 45 minutes long. Not waiting with a 15 month old who can't even tell Santa what she wants for THAT long. Our shopping was already done and had been done, so we just wandered around the mall since we were there.

This is what we found.... Merry-Go-Round - she rode it 3-4 times and we only paid about $.50 one time out of all those times. Other people kept paying and if I offered, they just didn't care. Their kid was going to ride anyway...we weren't in any hurry to go anywhere...so we let her ride. and ride. and ride.

Then we went to the food court to eat. In the back corner they have more toys. She found them and played and climbed and played and climbed. She particularly liked this truck one. She could sit in the front seat and then walk to the back seat. She had fun.

Nosey little girl...always having to see what's going on around her.

And again...always looking out.

Friend Christmas Party

2011-01-06T11:19:00.002-07:00

On Friday December 17, 2010, our good friends Burton and Leslie Uta'i hosted a Christmas party. We had a little potluck, did an ornament exchange game, and just hung out enjoying the company of good friends. I'm greatful to have good friends who put forth effort to get people together. Leslie said she wants to try and do this every year. I'm in FULL support. Heck, I'm even willing to have it at our house, I just need someone to get the ball rolling and get the party planned...not just talked about.

My little King-a-roo. He is so sweet. He loves Auntie Lisa. Just ask him. :)

I had to post this picture, not so much for the wonderful quality and professional job that was done, but to show Leila's latest development. She is now climbing onto things. Mostly chairs and couches, but she already tries to climb onto tables from chairs and whatnot. Gotta love developmental stages.

15 months

2010-12-15T13:17:00.003-07:00

Sunday evening, we went with my parents to take Leila to the "Zoo Lights" at Hogle Zoo. I guess I thought there would be more actual animals on display, but the light displays were pretty awesome. Probably more fun for maybe a 4 year old who could see the animal designs in the lights, but it was fun...not too cold and no wind or snow or rain.

The good thing about the winter evening was we were able to see the TIGER and the SNOW LEOPARD very close. The leopard actually put its feet up on the window and was licking at some kids. The tiger just stared at us, but it was pretty close. Pretty awesome. The only other animals to be seen were in the reptile building yuck. Just the night before I has woke up in the night and talked with Kuso about my "bad dream" of a huge snake...Double Yuck. We took Leila on the carousel...she mostly liked it. Didn't show much emotion on her face, but she had fun. We would say to her "hands up!" and she would throw them in the air which made it look like she was having fun...

At 15 months, Leila is acting so old! She is finally done with her bottle (going on 5+ days now). She gave up her binky at about 7-ish months...and has never really had a blanket or an animal she is attached to...so for now, she lives life as it comes. We don't have to make sure to have any particular object with us. So nice.

She is a dancing machine...seriously...this girl has got MOVES! If you spend very much time with her, you will see her "shake it" which involves her pulling her elbows up and shaking her hips in a twisting motion...then she pushes her hip to the side and kind of shakes it a little. Then she crouches down and stomps her foot and claps her hands...sometimes walking while she does that. Then other times she twirls in a circle. She is HILARIOUS to watch.

She is starting to use/mimic small words. "Hi" "Mau" = more, "tank" = thank you, "mom mom" - any person she sees...then when you tell her who it really is, she just laughs. and the ever loving "NO!" used in various tones for various reasons...sometimes even includes a head shake with it.

She does not like to be left with other people. She is a TOTAL DADDY'S GIRL. If not daddy, then grandpa...if not grandpa, then grandma...if not grandma, then MAYBE mom if there is no one else there. It's kind of a nice break, but sometimes I just want my little girl to love me back!

Leila is a KISSY girl. She says HI then wants to Kiss (anyone) or waves bye and wants to kiss. Good night comes with a kiss. She walks up to people at church and wants to be held. Then she wants to kiss them. She kisses the TV. She kisses herself in pictures and in mirrors. She kisses the phone when someone talks to her. She kisses her toys and animals. She kisses the books. She kisses the wall or floor or anything else she can get her luscious lips on!

She is STARTING to sleep better. Lately we go lay on the bed in the dark with her. (she has not used her crib in at least 2 months...she has been sleeping on the guest bed.) The past few nights she tries to get up a couple of times and I grab her, lay her back down, and just don't talk to her. Usually within about 10-15 minutes, she is fast asleep, and most nights, sleeps through the night. IF she wakes up in the nights, one of us just goes in to lay with her. Kuso usually sleeps the rest of the night with her because he doesn't wake up...I'm often back in my own bed within 5 minutes or less.

Progress is being made. A touch more freedom. She points to things rather than crying. She is starting to use words. She is starting to sleep better...Mom is a LITTLE more rested.

So Sweet

2010-11-22T13:28:00.002-07:00

Yesterday after church, around 2:30 I was dozing on the couch. Leila walked over to me, looked up at me with her big, beautiful, brown eyes and lifted her arms to be lifted up. I picked her up, she snuggled in and fell right to sleep. No drink. No crying. No wiggling. Just wanted to cuddle and sleep. I couldn't have asked for a more special moment with my little girl.

Then to make it more special, Kuso came and took her from my arms and laid her on the bed, then came back, got me off the couch and we took a nice, long, warm, nap together on a snowy Sunday afternoon.

PURE BLISS.

...and the verdict is?...

2010-11-15T14:30:00.003-07:00

Inconclusive. I'm trying to figure out if my daughter is a freak or if there is something causing her to act like a freak. Let me explain.

Last night, Leila was a FREAK! Earlier in the afternoon, Kuso was playing peek with her while I was laying on the bed. He would put his face down by my stomach and then she would turn upside down to see his face. This happened a couple times. THEN, she started waiting for him to put his head down, then she would head-butt him on the back of his head. Then look at us and laugh her guts out.

Later that night, she acted like she was scared to death to go to sleep. Any time she was almost asleep, she would pop her eyes open and scream! She would be totally content in my arms, but as soon as I lay her down, (alone or with me on the bed) she would wake up and scream. After we finally went to bed around 1:30 am, she still flopped around the bed and would cry out in the night.

A few days ago she started playing this "game" where she would run around the room and hit things (the couch, the chair, the door, your leg) and keep running. Kind of like tag? Anyway, she started doing that. And then later in the night she started being really freaky...
she would "dead fall" where she stands straight up, then starts to fall forward, face first, and at the very last second, catch herself, then intentionally smack her face on the ground. After, she would get up, look at my mom and I, and laugh. So crazy. Then in addition to that, she would run around, abruptly stop, and while standing, bend down and smack her head on the ground. Then stand back up and laugh. SO WEIRD!

After we had got past the falling on the ground and smacking her face episodes, she was laying in my arms and throwing her left fist around by bending her elbow in and out really fast. Sometimes she just does this while she walks around, but hasn't figured out her right arm does the same thing...anyway, she was doing that and started punching herself in the face. She hit herself like four times before I stopped her. Then she just looked at me and grinned.

WHAT DO I DO? She is obviously not hurt when she does it because she thinks it's funny and keeps showing off. I have to admit, it was HILARIOUS. I'm sure if I could have caught it on camera, we would be $10,000 richer. But it was also kind of scary/weird. After she quit doing it, then went back to doing it, we were able to stifle our laughter so she quit doing it. But I don't want her to think this is appropriate behavior ever.

So there are several possible factors that I'm attributing to her odd night.
1. She has turned into a daddy's girl while Kuso was off and staying home with her the past 2 weeks. He had left town to go back to work.
2. We were not at home. We were at my parents, so maybe she knew she wasn't in her normal environment.
3. She gets extremely hot and had on warm pajamas. We had already cut the feet out of them since she has hot coals for feet, but she was still hot. So we ended up having her sleep in a t-shirt and her diaper.
4. The milk may have been a bit sour. It smelled okay, but she could have had a stomach ache?
5. Teething?
6. Daddy has a sinus infection...she could be developing one as well?
7. Ear ache?
8. Or she is just a freak.

While I'm at it...any ideas about how to get her to sleep in her OWN bed ALL night? Most nights she goes to sleep in her own bed, and within 2 hours, she is crying to come in our bed. Some nights she sleeps really sound in our bed, other nights she flops around. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. And if you did the "cry it out" method, let me know how long it took you until you were successful. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-15T13:45:00.004-07:00

For Halloween we were in St. George for cousin Anna's farewell. My aunt lives in a neighborhood with larger lots, so we hopped in the back of the truck and drove

to the people's houses we wanted to see.

Leila was the CUTEST little panda bear EVER! I fell in love with costume at Sam's Club for $11 and had to buy it. I knew it would be a close fit. and it was...a little snug, but do-able for one night. When we put it on her to try it on, for pictures, and for my work party, she wanted NOTHING to do with the hood being on her head. But when the actual day came, she wore that hood all night...and wore it well. She was so cute to watch toddle around! Kiley was a beautiful butterfly. For a while, she wanted to a pirate. Her parents looked and looked for a pirate costume that would fit her, but they couldn't find anything. Then they had to convince her she wanted to be a beautiful butterfly. After she accepted that, we could NOT mention the word pirate!I had to include this picture to show how hard Leila had to turn her head to see anything.

It was pretty funny.
Leila and Rusti. In these costumes they look pretty close to the same size.
Until you lift them up. Leila has a good 7-9 pounds on Rusti!

The picture above made me giggle because the girls are just staring at each other,

trying to figure out why they looked different. The picture below makes me giggle because it looks like Leila is growling at Rusti.Rusti was a cute little bunny and Shawn, well, had us looking for Waldo all evening.

Family Pictures

2010-11-03T14:09:00.003-06:00

Saturday October 30th we went to Pine Valley (near St. George, UT) to take some family photos. We were all in town for my cousin Brieanna's mission farewell. My Aunt Karen was our photographer. Here are a few of the semi-decent pictures that turned out. The scenery was pretty awesome, but when you have a group of people that hate to get their pictures taken, well, it's hard to get a decent photo.

Enjoy...

In this picture my mom wanted to "recreate" a picture we took on a whale watching cruise a few years back when Shawn graduated boot camp. That has been one of her favorite pictures, and this one looks almost exactly like it...I'm just a few pounds heavier!

The funny thing about this picture (below) is that Leila was playing a new game over the weekend. First she would cover her eyes with her hands. Then we would say "Where's Leila?" Then she moves her hands and smiles/laughs really hard. (basically peek-a-boo) but she starts it and hides behind her chubby little hands. It is the cutest...well, she was playing that game while my aunt was trying to take this set of pictures. The picture right before this, her eyes are covered. This one, she has brought her hands down to laugh. Love it.

Kuso thought he was being funny, but my aunt loved it, so she had to take a picture.

Funny thing is that we have a similar picture to this from our bridal picture shoot.

Kuso must think he is the next ROCK.
This is Rusti (my cousin's daughter who is 10 days older than Leila) and Leila

running up the path. I think Rusti is just trying to get up the hill without falling.

Looks like Leila is going to make sure she gets there first!

She's got that competitive Spirit!

Nature Wins!

2010-09-27T12:13:00.003-06:00

The ongoing debate of Nature vs. Nurture has been concluded. Nature wins! Leila has never seen me carry a baby around. She is not around other people with babies very often. About a month or two ago, she just started packing babies around, hugging their necks, and kind of rocking with them. September 17-18 we went to St. George to go through the temple with my cousin Anna. I had enough forethought to grab the baby on the way out the door. Leila grabbed onto that thing and just snuggled with it. Soon enough she was asleep.

Later in the trip, she was drinking a bottle and holding the baby and fell asleep. So I took the bottle from her. She started to reach for the bottle and the baby started to drop. She forgot the bottle, grabbed the baby, and went back to sleep.

Conclusion: Women are natural nurturers. One does not need to be taught how to be a caring and loving person. It comes naturally.

How precious are these pictures?

Happy Birthday Leila!

2010-09-27T11:41:00.005-06:00

September 14, 2010 our beautiful daughter turned one. She went in for her one year check up on the 20th. At that time she was 25 pounds 13 ounces and 30 inches tall. That is about 90% in weight and 70% in height. Dr. Brasher is not too concerned with these ratios, but if they don't balance out in the next few years, he might be a little more concerned. :) He also noticed that her legs bow out, so she is scheduled to see an orthopedic doctor in October.

At one year old, Leila has been walking quite steadily for about a month now. She is starting to walk backwards on occasion and thinks it's really funny. She is wearing size 18 months pajamas and 24 month clothes (in most things.) She wears a size 5 shoe. She has learned to click her tongue and it is LOUD. She is starting to get more snugly and will just cuddle for a few seconds at a time. She is very social. She will walk up to anyone, anywhere (even at the court house) and reach up to sit on their lap. She goes to complete strangers (to her, we know them) and gives them hugs.

She is so silly and playful. She LOVES to play chase, especially with her uncle Troy or daddy. She is good to entertain herself just wandering the house playing with toys. She is much happier if she is outside. She is kind of a picky eater. She loves to be around kids. I took her to change her diaper at church one day and saw that the nursery kids were just playing with toys, so I took her in to play for a minute since she was so restless sitting in class with me. From that day on, she has been going to nursery (which is usually for kids 18+ months.) She fits right in and plays.

She still does not sleep through the night regularly. In fact, most nights, she ends up in bed with us at some point. Something I swore I would never do, but sometimes, a little bit of sleep and little bit of snuggle time with your baby is worth it. She loves to play with babies and mother's them around. She loves to play with balls. She has the CUTEST little laugh and is so light hearted and easy going. Leila is BY FAR one of the wiggliest kids anyone has seen. Complete strangers commonly comment about how beautiful/adorable/gorgeous/etc. she is, how chubby she is, how she looks older than she is, and how wiggly she is.

Luckily we had already had her birthday party the weekend before because Kuso was called to work out of town. So for her birthday celebration it was just Leila, mom, grandma and grandpa. She had her very on "smash cake" and put some good work in on it. She got more presents and played all night. Because daddy was out of town, it encouraged me to take lots of pictures. So, enjoy.

The evening started out with dinner. Leila had spaghettio's...or maybe the spaghettio's had her. While my parents and I were eating, she decided she wanted my corn on the cob. I left a little row for her and she ate it right off the cob!

Then came presents. Kuso and I gave her this lady bug tent to use as a toy box.

She had opened the other presents at her party.

Shawn, Michelle, and Kiley gave her this giraffe. At first, she kept trying to sit on it like a chair. With a little bit of help from grandpa, she figured it out. She can still only go backwards for now, but she likes to sit on it and bounce. This giraffe also came with a mini giraffe pull along that can hook to the back of this, or Leila can pull it around behind her which is something she likes to do.

She will love this toy in the future. You can spin yourself around while the music plays. She thought it was fun with just me twisting her around so when she can do it alone....watch out!

Then came the cake.Look how thoughtful she is...she left some for me to eat.

Priceless.

Leila has been such a special blessing in our lives. She is a complete source of entertainment. She inspires me to be a better person so I can set an example to her of what a woman/mom/wife needs to be.

We never knew there could be a love like this.

Thank you for letting us be your parents.

We love you.

Utah State Fair

2010-09-27T11:30:00.002-06:00

Sunday September 12 we took Leila to the State Fair. Last year we walked around the fair about three days before she was born trying to put me into labor. This year, Leila got to experience the sites and sounds of the fair.Leila loves rabbits. Our neighbors have a pet rabbit and she thinks it is really funny to go watch it hop in its cage. So needless to say, she loved the rabbit exhibit. It has been decided that IF (and that's a big IF) we ever decide to have a pet, it will be a rabbit. And after being at the fair, IF we get a rabbit, it will be a Holland Lop. Too cute.If you notice, Leila now has a new shirt on and no shorts.

We were about to leave when we saw that there was going to be a sea lion show. So we decided to wait and watch it. I went to get a drink and when I came back, Kuso was changing her diaper. I thought he was being such a good dad...well, there is more to it than that.

While waiting, he decided to put her up on his shoulders like he had previously in the day so she could see better. As he put his hand up on her back for support, he felt squishiness. yuck. Yep. It was poop....coming up out of her shorts up her back. SO, like the good dad he is, he changed her right then and there, on the grass, and didn't wait for me to get back to do it for him.

Luckily, we had bought this Bob Marley shirt for her earlier. She has outgrown all her other ones and with her dad being the fanatic fan that he is, our kids will always have Bob Marley gear.

We had bought it a size big hoping she would wear it for a while...

it's actually not that big and has worn it since this episode.

This is a walking, talking robot. Leila just stared at it. Not scared, just in awe.

For some reason, I LOVE going to the State Fair. Especially when the weather is nice like it was that day. It's definitely a drain to our bank accounts, but it's fun,

and it's one of the things that we like to do as a family.

Leila's 1st Birthday Party!

2010-09-27T11:18:00.003-06:00

We had a birthday party for Leila on Saturday September 11, 2010 at the Fassio Farm Park just a few blocks from our house. We had BBQ and let the kids play on the playground. It was intended to be a "small party" but by the time we invited family and a few friends and all their kids, it was quite the gathering. The weather was perfect and the playground kept the kids entertained.Leila! How old are you?Leila's cousins and grandpa were showing her how to roll down the hill.

She L-O-V-E-D it. A few days before the party, we went to check out the cooking facilities and played on the playground with her. After a few times down the slide, she was going head first, pushing herself with her legs down the slide. This child has No Fear.

She didn't quite know what to do with presents, so she just looked.

Leila loves babies. It kind of makes me laugh because I don't remember ever liking to play with dolls. She loves them. She was so excited to see this baby. It giggles and goo's when you push the belly. She couldn't wait to have it out of the box.

Leila got TONS of books. Which is good because she loves them.

As you can see, she immediately got one and had to have it read to her.

I'm so glad she loves books.

Waiting for Grandma Neener to open the baby.

There are no pictures of her eating cake because that activity was reserved for her REAL birthday. Another post will show that.

It was a fun party and Leila walked away with a lot of loot...babies, clothes, books, and toys. We are so grateful we have good friends and family that will help celebrate these occasions with us.

Annual 4-Wheeler Trip

2010-09-27T07:56:00.003-06:00

The first weekend in August my mom's side of the family always gather together for a 4-wheeler trip. This year it was pushed to the second weekend. This was Leila's first camping trip. My mom and I were concerned about what she should wear. We didn't want her in short and short sleeves, but we didn't want her to be hot. We also didn't want her ruining any of her good clothes with the dirt and grime she would be in given that she was learning to walk.

We ended up going to DI to get some overalls that if she ruined, I wouldn't be upset or out too much money. The clothes were kind of goofy, but with a cutie like Leila wearing them, how bad can they be?

Turns out the weather was kind of rainy and kept us close to camp most of the weekend. We didn't want to get stuck out in any kind of weather. Ashley brought Rusti up for a day. The two played. Well, looked at each other and got jealous. Oh well...at some point they will learn they are supposed to like each other! Leila is "sharing" her food.
Leila loves to drink out of the water bottle. Rusti had been extremely sick for the past week or two. We introduced her to the water bottle and she loved it, so we kept giving her water. At least that way she was drinking something.

This was an impromptu car seat for the 4-wheeler. That is the swing from my parent's tree. I'm not so sure this was the safe thing to do, but it looked good. She loved going for a ride.

Leila usually hates being in her bouncy seat now because she wants to be out moving. But this was better than being held. I'm pretty sure right now she is "tossing it in the oven". Notice the pajamas. This actually turned out to be what she wore. It covered her feet and kept her warm. She was about to outgrow them anyway, and they were too hot to sleep in at home, so we took our chances. They actually cleaned up quite nice. I might have to keep this as a note on how to take future children camping...keep them in feetsie jammies the entire time!

Lookin so hot in cousin Amber's glasses.

Playing peek-a-boo with mommy in Grandma Neener's trailer.

This was funny because everyone else was sitting probably 30 yards away near the fire and I left her sitting in her seat to eat her butter and jam sandwich. She is a goof ball.

Leila being jealous that Rusti is getting attention and she isn't.

At some point, everyone in our family was there except for Shawn, Michelle, and Kiley. But given that they live so far away and Shawn has a crappy work schedule, we will forgive them for not coming. This time.

It's About Time!

2010-09-07T12:36:00.006-06:00

First of all, Sorry. With Leila being much more active and into things, enjoying the nice weather, and being a home owner and the responsibilities that come with that, I haven't been making the blog a priority. Here are pictures from the past several months. We are going to have her first birthday party this coming weekend...stay tuned for an updated blog for that, along with an explanation of what she is doing these days as far as developmental milestones. Until then, enjoy the pictures. Waiting for the Doctor.

Family Picture at the Zoo.

Leila LOVED being this close to the monkeys.

So Sweet.

Leila with Grandpa Great Taylor.

My cute niece Kiley.

Impromptu famiy photo at Leila's blessing.

Leila in her blessing outfit.

Round two at the pool.

Daddy was "watching" her. Good thing this is what I found

and not something much more messy!

1st trip to the pool...

So cute in her glasses.

Check out those thighs!

Sweet thing loves her daddy...

Honey! I'm Home!

2010-05-20T21:52:00.006-06:00

1968 Rambler. Purchased from original owners. Enjoy the tour...

The original owners were great. Utah fans! They left the light up U for us!

Inside the front door is the living room. I made those curtains all by myself (with some much needed direction from my mother.) Now I'm just trying to find some blinds to fit such a large window!

This tile work was done by my brother Troy. Well, MOST of the cosmetic stuff done in our house was done by Troy. Kuso was out of town for most of the remodel, but he did help lay this tile. I love it.As you exit living room, to the left is this, to the right, the hallway.

First door on the left is the bathroom.Straight down the hall, last door on the left is the Master room.

Above is the view from the hallway.

Below is the view from the Master Bath.

Master Bath

Leila's Room - last door on the right.

First door on the right, 3rd Bedroom/computer room for now.

After coming back down the hallway, to the right, behind the living room, is the kitchen.

Above is the view from the hallway.

Below is the view from the gargage door entry.Immediately at the bottom of the stairs is the family room. This is where Kuso plans to have dance practice with his group.

The built-ins will be great!At the bottom of the stairs, just outside the family room is a 4th bedroom.

With TONS of storage. Under the stairs and two full closets with shelves in the back!To the left at the bottom of the stairs is this storage room.

Between the storage room and this laundry room, there is going to be a 3rd bathroom.At the end of the hallway and connected to the laundry room is the potential for a 5th bedroom.

This will likely be Kuso's room to keep his work clothes, rugby clothes, dance clothes, etc.

Then on to the backyard.Above is the view from the garage door.

Below is the view from the opposite corner.

This flower pot is my first attempt at gardening on my own.

I also planted other flowers along the back of the house.

The west fence is covered with ground cover and bushes.

I'm basically going to watch it for a while to see what is what and start

making plans for what I would like to do to clean it up a little bit.

This whole thing started with an idea to move closer to our families, the babysitter, work, and all of our other activities. I suggested we rent a town home for a few years. That way, when we have another baby, there will be room. I saw prices for rent and thought 'we could buy one for that price.' So I started looking at purchasing a town home. Then I saw the prices for those and thought 'we could buy a house for that price.' So I contacted our long time family friend and realator, Jodee Smith, and told her my thoughts.

This house was the second house I looked at. When we walked to the front door, Jodee said "Lis, this is your house." I fell in love immediately. I took Kuso back to see it that night. It all fell into place (with the help of multiple emails, phone calls, and faxes) and now here we are!

Our neighbors are very nice. The Bishop of the new ward stopped by to introduce himself the day we were moving in. Other ward members have stopped by to introduce themselves. I feel comfortable where we are at and feel like "everything happens for a reason" is true.

If you are ever in our neck of the woods, feel free to come visit! Call first...I might need to clean up a bit!

Leila - 8 Months

2010-05-20T21:27:00.002-06:00

On Friday May 14th, Leila hit her 8 month mark. I had taken her into the doctor just a few days prior. She is 1/2 ounce under 21 pounds. AND, that's after having diahriah for 2 weeks! Needless to say, she is healthy and strong. She beats All the other babies that I know that are close to her age in weight by around 3 pounds!

As seen in the picture above, she is crazy. She LOVES to hang upside down. Sometimes when she cries, I just put her upside down and she giggles.

Leila has a new best friend. His name is monkey. My brother gave me this Curious George toy for Christmas several years ago. I have had it on display in her room since before she was born. One morning, she noticed monkey and they have been buds ever since. She tackles him. She hugs him. She kisses him. She lays on him. She snuggles with him (when she goes to sleep in my arms and she has been crying and I'm trying to make her happy.)

Just staring face to face. She LOVES that he is the same size as her!

"Kissie Monkey." --and she does every time!

My mom put Leila in this box when I was moving stuff into the new house. Leila thought that was quite fun. At one point, we had the box closed up and she just sat inside quietly. Then when we opened the box, she laughed. Kuso had not seen this picture until last weekend. He laughed and thought it was the cutest picture of her. (Besides that she looks like an orphan!)

Saturday, May 15th, was a busy day. It was my 30th Birthday! And we were having a few friends over for a BBQ and to show our new house in the evening. So we had to go shopping. We didn't have time to let Leila be in her routine, so she came along. Well, her routine kicked in and she was nodding off while sitting up in the shopping cart. My mom carried her for a big, then we laid her down. She slept like this for a good 30 minutes before we left the store! Thank goodness we were buying those napkins!

Leila also had her first driving lessong this week. She was pretty good at it. We had to make sure she drove daddy's car first in case she crashed it!

Now, it's bath time. Her beloved bath time.

In our new house, our tubs are a little older, so they have that metallic hollow sound. She LOVES to play in the bathroom and pound on the tub. Just that entertained her the other day long enough for me to have a bath, shave my legs, and wash my hair. She was still just banging away when I was done. As you can see, she has many bath toys. This star fish is one of her favorites, mostly because it's easy to hold, easy to grab out of the water, and easy to put in her mouth. (Check out the Buddah Belly!)

She also likes to stand up in the tub. This is not so good. She is very strong, and has only started to slip twice, but all it takes is for me to be out of the room for 5 seconds and she could have a serious injury. Oh well...I guess that's why we alot time for the bath right?

Some other things about Leila...at 7 months old, she started sleeping through the night. Mostly anyway. One night, we were staying at my parents while we got our new house ready to move into. Leila had a ROUGH night. She screamed for 1 1/2 hours from 2 am until 3:30. Want to know what calmed her down? Kuso took her pajamas off and took her outside at 3 am. What a wierd child. But overall, she is sleeping much better. She would rather have "real" food than baby food. But she is a good eater. So far, she has eaten everything that has been given to her. She knows what soda is and that the straw goes in the mouth. No, she doesn't get it often, but when she gets a sip now and then, oh boy, does she love it! She has started to snuggle when she goes to sleep. She usually eats, then snuggles into the nook of my arm, then pulls herself up to lay on my shoulder. I love it. AND, she goes to bed earlier, so it gives me more time to clean up the house, or update my blog perhaps!

Leila LOVES to watch people. She will stare. She will pull herself into wierd angles to be able to watch what someone is doing. She still pulls in tons of comments about how beautiful she is and how good natured she is. Kuso and I have taught her "Aua!" (Which means "stop it.") She looks at us, then pulls her hands back from whatever we told her to stop touching...usually electrical sockets or my mom's plant.

Leila is now wearing 12month clothes, and even some of those are too small for her! Mostly the jeans. All the "stretchy" stuff will fit for a bit longer! She has been walking along furniture for close to a month now. She is starting to let go and stand up for a few seconds at a time. She also squats. Either to make the fall shorter, or just to rest then stand back up. So funny to watch.

I almost forgot to post this. She is SUCH a flirt! She taunts my dad and brother to tease her. Same with her dad. She plays on the floor at church and does something, then looks to Kuso and I for praise, THEN, she turns to the guy sitting next to us and laughs, and tucks her chin down and tilts her head to look cute. TWO WEEKS IN A ROW...she did this. Oh boy, she will be a handful that way I'm sure of it!

Leila is such a special blessing in our lives. We couldn't ask for a better child. We look forward to watching her continue to grow, but we already miss some of the things she has outgrown.

Easter Weekend 2010

2010-04-17T08:55:00.004-06:00

Easter weekend we always head to St. George to stay with my Aunt Karen. This year, Saturday afternoon was target shooting. I haven't gone with them because it's just easier to stay at the house with the baby. I've been told Kuso is a very good shot.

Leila participated in her first Easter Egg Hunt. She obviously didn't undestand what was going on, but my Aunt Debbie made enough eggs for all the little kids to be involved. I tried to let her pick up her own eggs, but she wasn't very interested in it.

I put her on the grass to take a picture with her eggs, and she freaked out! She did NOT like the grass, plus, she was tired. But I also had to include this picture to show of her stunning rolls on her arms! I can't wait for summer to show those puppies off all the time!

Leila made her first dollar! I need to find a bank to keep in her room to putall this little stuff in. At some point, she can get into her bank. I'm sure it will add up over time!

She loved to play with her Easter basket(s). Yes, she had two. Mostly, she just loved to tip them over and play with the eggs. I had a cute picture of her playing with her toys with the basket on her head but I just deleted it! Dang It!

So, if you read my blog, you have heard about Rusti. She is my cousin Ashley's daughter who is 10 days older than Leila. Don't worry, Leila has her by about 3 pounds too! Anyway, we put them on the floor together to see what they would do. THIS was the result! SO funny! They just wrestled for a bit, then I think Rusti realized how heavy Leila is and so we separated them!

Both of these girls love to hand upside down!

Sorry Leila, but I had to throw this picture in to show off your new Easter outfit (but really her arms and legs. Those things are massive!)

Kuso with Leila and Rusti

This is my adorable cousin Ashley with the two girls.

I don't know why all the pictures and words are placed whereever they want to be. You get the picture.