Another Picture from Oahu Trip

I scanned in the picture we took at the front of the Haunted Lagoon at the Polynesian Culture Center. It was soooo fun and sooo scary!

From Left to Right: Our friends Rob and LiPing, Kyler, Richard, Me, Kealani and her Mom.

Husking Coconuts

For my school project in my Hawaiian Ethnobotany Class I need to make haupia from scratch (kind of a coconut pudding custard). I had to make the starch from the pia root and then I had to get milk from coconuts. My friend Tina helped me with the coconuts. She must be really strong or I must be really weak. It was hilarious trying to husk the coconut myself. After watching me struggle and make a couple of dents in the coconut Tina asked to take over (she probably didn't want to be there all night!). We (well mainly Tina) did seven coconuts to come up with two cups of milk. First you husk them, then crack them open (I couldn't even do that), then you grate the meat. Then you take the husk fibers, roll the meat in them and ring it like a towel to get the milk. It took us about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish (including getting the coconuts).

Here is a video of Tina husking away.

Oahu Trip

We went to Oahu Halloween weekend for two reasons. #1 we went to the 1st birthday party of Jordan and Jayden. #2 We wanted to go through the Laie temple during the open house. We had lots of fun. Our friends Rob and LiPing met us over there. We also spent time with Seneca Alberdi (she is going to school at BYU -Hawaii). The other fun thing we got to do was experience the Haunted Lagoon! Oh my gosh, it was way scary. I screamed all the way through. There were actual people under the water (way gross water) and they would come up and grab you as you drifted through on your raft. Richard and Kyler swam with the sharks and we did a little sight seeing - including stopping for shave ice at Matsumoto's.

Youth Cultural Event II

My friend Suzy took some video of our Samoan dance. The dance was 10 minutes long and this is only 2:30 minutes. The energy was way high - I think it is one of those, "you had to be there to feel it" type of things. The best part of the dance (not shown) was when they all sat on the ground and did dance moves (way fast) and slapped the floor - which echoed throughout the building. It was way good.
Copy in the below to your browser to watch on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQUhPdAxkk&feature=player_embedded

Youth Cultural Event

Kyler is 4th from the right, back row
Last weekend was our weekend long Stake Youth Cultural Event. Each ward was assigned a country - our ward was Samoa. Friday - make a display for your country and then food from your country for everyone to taste. I think our food was a hit - we had a huge line at our table. We made poni popo - homemade rolls with a coconut custard poured over top and sapa suey - long rice, corned beef and cabbage all mixed together. And then there was a dance afterward. Saturday everyone played a game from their country and then Saturday night each ward performed a 10 minute dance from their country. It was way good, and I would say our ward was the best but that would just make me sound prejudice. Sunday all the youth drove up to Pulehu (the first church building built in Hawaii - first baptism held near there as well) for a Sacrament/Fast and Testimony meeting - it is a very spiritual place. This is a picture of the young men before driving up to Pulehu.

Warren & Annabelle Magic Show

We went to the Warren and Annabelle Magic Show a couple of months ago with our friends Suzy and David. Suzy just sent me the pics so I thought I would post a couple. We went to dinner first and then to the show. It was so fun! It is a one man show - he does all slight of hand up close magic. He is so good and so funny. You laugh the entire time. And it is all clean jokes - that makes it even better.

Pictures Taken In Georgia

These are the family pictures Chelsea took in Georgia. This is a picture of Amelia with her other grandparents, Lance and Gayla.
Three generations - Me, Samantha, and Amelia.

As you can tell by this shot AJ wanted absolutely nothing to do with this.

All AJ wanted to do was get in and play in the water.

Oh cute....What a cute family picture.

Oh cute couple : ) You'd never know she just had a baby three months ago.

Grandma and baby Amelia.

Back in Maui

Cynthia flew back with me to Maui. Pictures of us at Kalama Beach park.

I call this beach - treasure beach. You never know what you will find. Sometimes sea glass, sometimes drift wood, sometimes sea weed. As you can tell, it was a sea weed day.

Me and Cynthia on our daily walk with the dogs. Buddy loves to jump into the ocean to fetch the ball. Well, all Buddy ever thinks of is the ball. If you could listen in to Buddy's mind you would hear - ball, ball, ball...

Grandkids in California

Sahara and me in front of the new Japanese bakery - yummo! Cynthia, Sahara and I went to the Japanese bakery, the Japanese grocery store and the Japanese mochi store. Gee...no wonder I gained weight on my vacation!

Little Lily in her bouncer. She was so sweet and fun. I loved spending time with her. The last time I saw her she was just born. She is growing up so fast. She definitely loves putting her toes in her mouth.

Charlie and I did the sidewalk chalk thing. I mainly drew while he looked for bugs. I swear, he knows "everything" about bugs. We called him the bug whisperer. He found a bee and played with it, let it crawl on him and everything. We told him it could of stung him and he said, "No, I told him I wouldn't hurt him so he knew I was nice and it didn't sting me." See...Bug Whisperer.

On to California - Charlie's Graduation

I was able to attend Charlie's pre-school graduation. Of course he was the cutest and best one there! Miss Cathy and Miss Aubrey put on a wonderful graduation for all the parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles to enjoy. You could tell it was a really great pre-school to attend.

They wore dog ears for the puppy song they sang - it was absolutely adorable.

Picture with grandma after the graduation. Charlie is all grown up now.

Mia in the Hospital

Poor Mia was drowning in congestion, stuffed up, and coughing the whole time I was there. But she was still such a good, happy baby. We ended up having to take her to the emergency room. They gave her some steroids to open up her airways and she had to do breathing treatments. But boy she sure looks cute in a hospital gown.

Amelia Sue's Baby Blessing

It was so neat to be there for Amelia's blessing. This blessing gown was originally crocheted for Aaron - but he turned out to be a boy! Then AJ, but surprise a boy again. Finally a girl. Aaron's grandfather hired a lady to hand crochet the whole outfit - hat, gown, booties, and blanket. It was adorable.
Amelia Sue, isn't she precious.

Me, the proud grandma holding little baby Mia.

More Georgia Pictures

Aaron graduated from Navy Supply School while I was in Georgia. I spent most of my time during the ceremony running around the outside of the building chasing after AJ - I told you, no off button.
Amelia all dressed up and ready to go on her photo shoot. Chelsea lives in Georgia now too! She was there to take family pictures - I'll post some of those too. They turned out sooooo good.

Aaron told AJ to pick his nose - with both fingers for this classic shot.

Strawberry Picking In Georgia

Cute picture of Aaron, Sam, AJ and well kind of a cute picture of baby Mia.

One of the fun things we did while I was in Georgia was picking strawberries. They were so ripe and so yummy. It was one for the bucket and one for my mouth.

AJ picked for a little bit but had more fun running up and down and up and down the rows of strawberries. That kid has no off button...just run, run, run.

Look at all my berries! Sam and I made strawberry jam. It turned out a little runny - I told her we had to make it the "real" way - no pectin : ) Shoot, I forgot to bring some home with me...maybe she'll bring some to Maui in her luggage.

Kyler's Belated Birthday Celebration

Instead of a birthday party this year, Kyler and his friend Alec decided to go to Da Rush - a wave similater. You can either ride a boogey board or a small surf board. They tried both. I think this was the second or third time they've been there. I think they enjoyed it. They fell an awful lot and I know Kyler was definitely sore the next day. Kyler taking a tumble and being sucked back up and over the top.
Kyler using the surf board. Each time he started getting pulled back he would lose his balance and take a tumble.

Hey look mom I'm up!

Using the boogey board. This is a lot easier to use. He starts out on his stomach, goes to his knees and then stands up on it.

This is his friend Alec. Alec is a surfer so I think this was a little bit easier for him.

The two boys waiting for their turn - must be talking strategy.

Alec using the board.

Here is a video of both riding the surf board. Kyler goes down fast and Alec rides it a little longer. Kyler did stay up longer than this - but I guess we don't have video of it.

Easter April 4, 2010

Since General Conference was on Easter Sunday this year (which meant we didn't have to "go" to church), we, along with two other families (Alberdi's and Spiegler's) spent Easter morning together at the beach park near Keawakapu. We had a potluck brunch and an Easter egg hunt for the kids. We also tossed around some balls and some Frisbees and just enjoyed each other's company. We ended with Michelle reading the Easter story to us from the New Testament. It was a really fun morning. We came home and watched conference on TV (which we had set to record). Here are some pictures of our get together.

Everyone tossing Frisbees and footballs

Eric must be saying something important - everyone is looking at him, except Alec who decided to climb a tree.

Effie - helping her son Trey look for Easter eggs.

Dallin just found one hidden in the golf ball basket.

Lovely shot of me bending over to hide an Easter egg under the blanket.

We had some yummy food. I brought an apple coffee cake and a french toast casserole. Effie brought some homemade syrup that was delicious. Everything was good, including Michelle's breakfast casserole served with salsa and sour cream. Yummo. You know me, I'm all about the food.