Where has the time gone?!

Good grief! I haven't blogged in the longest! I wish I kept up with this as much as I meant to when I first started blogging.  I NEED to get better at it because before long, I'm going to be looking back at what I have recorded and I'm sure I'll be wishing I did more.  So with that said, here are a few updates. 

MOST importantly, Siua and my boys got baptized!!! I can't tell you how much of a blessing this was for my little family.  Because we have been married so long, I started to lose hope in Siua as far as the gospel was concerned.  He had been through countless discussions and met with so many sets of missionaries but he would never commit.  I should've known that this was in the cards all along and Heavenly Father knew better than I did when the time was right for him.  Those who know him also know that he's a SUPER devoted dad.  He'd do anything for our kids and I'm glad they got to experience it together. In the end, if it was good for them then it was good for him also.  Gotta love the guy and his willingness to dive in and make such a huge step.  In retrospect, I'm glad he didn't do it years ago.  It's helped me to grow as a wife, mother and daughter of God. While I continue to fall short, I now have my very own priesthood holder to help keep things in place. 

We moved back to OAKLAND! There's no place like home.  We all know the saying and we all know the feeling we get when we're back in our old stompin' grounds.  After countless weekend trips and extended stays, we made the move for good.  Gma is still around and I want my kids to know her.  Not just know that she's gma but to build their own relationship with her.  There's nothing like OLD SCHOOL love.  They need to know it, feel it and soak it all in! My aunty is ill too and while I have faith that she's going to be around for years to come, I want to be as close to the both of them as I can, while I can.  All of my family is in Oakland and it's been nice to be surrounded by them day to day.  Church on Sunday is like a reunion and there seems to always be something fun to do on the weekends for no reason.  I'm lovin' it and I know Siua is too.  Being close to our family has always been important to us.  While we miss our many loved ones in Mateo, we're glad that we're just right over the bridge. 

June, Mark and Osi are home! I can't believe how quickly that two years flew past! Eric will be here before we know it.  I'm so proud of my little brothers for all of their hard work, endurance and faith.  I know it wasn't easy.  I know that they were tested.  I also know that they grew into men while they were gone.  It's nice having them home again. 

We went through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and so many other holidays since I last did an update.  I'm going to try and be better about keeping things up to date.  Even if it's a few pictures or a quick video.  I know I'll be happy I did one day. 

Mama's Boy

Is this not the sweetest? Papa drew this picture and put it in an envelope with my name on it.  He placed it on the nightstand right under my cell phone to make sure that I saw it when I got up in the morning.  What a thoughtful little surprise.  That's such a Papa thing to do.  I love that my boys are old enough to express their love and gratitude in their own little way but still so young that they aren't concerned with looking too cool for all the mushyness that I love! Don't grow any older boys! Just stay right where you are.  Geez I need to be better at just stopping and enjoying this sweet time in our lives.

"A Very Special Thank You"

I was sorting through some mail and random papers that were on top of our night stand and I came across an invitation that Joshua brought home from school.  Since their school is always having fun little events for the kids (movie nights, spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts etc.) I didn't think much of it.  It was obviously already opened and even wrinkled by the time I saw it.  I almost tossed it out with all of the other stuff that I was putting in the trash can.  But then I noticed Siua's name written on it so I opened it. 

To many, it's probably not that big of a deal.  To Siua even, it's nothing major.  But I think it's pretty cool.  Not the actual invite or the fact that they're having a "Tea" to honor volunteers.  I think it's cool that Siua did enough volunteering to earn his very own special invitation.  Shoot, I didn't get one and I went on a few fieldtrips myself! LOL I need to be clear, I didn't even know that he volunteered to help most of the time.  I usually found out after he had already scheduled the time off for a field trip or actually completed whatever it was he volunteered to do.  He simply made the effort, on his own, to take part in these activities that help our boys and their peers.  It's not uncommon for people to volunteer.  I know that.  But seeing Siua transition from the man he was when we first got married to the awesome dad he's become is pretty cool. 

Siua's cousin Sio, who is a regular at our house, said it best.  During a long car ride he and Siua took to the city with Mackenzie one afternoon, Luvie started to fuss and cry.  After turning up the music didn't work, Siua turned off the radio and started to sing a Barney song with Luvie.  I couldn't help but to start cracking up while Sio told the story.  Picturing Siua singing a Barney song.  That, Sio said, is when he realized that Siua was "father of the year".  LOL He was with his boy, in a car with rims and beat, singing Barney songs with his toddler loud and proud.  It's the little things that Siua does to prove to our kids that there isn't anyone in the world more important to him than they are.  For THAT alone, he deserves "A Very Special Thank You".  I can't wait until my kids are old enough to realize how very lucky they are. 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

A few weeks back Lani was asked to take pictures of Alice and Seni on their anniversary.  Seni planned to take Alice out to dinner and ballgame and wanted to surprise her by taking a few really good pictures in the city.  Lani, being the photog that she is, was game (pun intended lol) and asked me to tag along to help drive.  She even offered to buy me dinner.  Who'd refuse dinner and an impromptu trip into the city? Needless to say, I agreed.  Knowing that Lani would be busy taking pictures and not wanting to look like a side buster, I asked Papa if he wanted to tag along to keep me company.  As soon as he heard we were going to the city and dinner was involved, he was stoked! Oh he MUST be MY son.  ;-) After grabbing some take out at Fish Market, we were on our way!

We dropped Lani off so that she could surprise Alice with their mini photo shoot while Papa and I went to park the car.  After devouring our yummy dinner (Thanks again Lani!), we decided to take a walk around AT&T park.  It was dusk and soooo nice out! We could hear the crowd roaring with excitement from blocks away.  The closer we got to the park, the louder the crowd was and Papa grew more and more anxious to see what the hype was about.  We don't attend very many sporting events because I'm not a huge fan of any sport.  Siua LOVES sports so he goes with friends but the times we went as a family the boys were too young to remember.

Once we got close enough to the ballpark, we could see the HUGE crowd.  Papa's face lit up with excitement as they cheered with music in the background and the various announcements were made.  I knew it was coming and I was ready for it.  "Can we go to the game Mom?!"  Darn it! I was no where near ready to attend the game RIGHT then and there but I promised him that we would go to one soon.  Being the sweet understanding boy that he is, Papa agreed to wait and offered to help me plan our day out to the park with his siblings.  I knew then that he wasn't going to let me forget. 

Coincidentally, at work the following week, I learned that a trip to a Giants game for the entire firm was coming up.  They sent out a company wide email invite with the details of the game.  I didn't think much of it because there was no invitation to bring a guest.  I don't care for baseball, so I was just going to pass it up.  People started to ask who was going and every time I said I wasn't, I got the same response "You HAVE to go with us. There's nothing like it." At first I thought it was the typical response from die hard baseball fans, but as it turns out, the firm goes ALL OUT for the company game.  So I gave in and decided to go. 

Shortly after, I got word that there were a few extra tickets and IF you had a "plus 1" you were encouraged to let them know.  I was ALL OVER IT.  Since that trip to the city with Lani, Papa hadn't stopped asking about the baseball game and I knew this was going to be a good one.  So I asked if I could bring him.  Since I'm still a temp, I was low on the totem poll as far as guests were concerned so I didn't find out until the DAY OF about wether or not Papa could go.  I was SOOOOO hoping I could bring him! Sure enough, just an hour before heading out, I got the ok. 

I made arrangements with my mom (THANK GOODNESS for Gma's!) the night before so that if Papa did get the ok, she could drop him off on her way to work.  I quickly called her, pulled him out of class and grabbed the sweater and hat I brought in hopes of his attendance.  Shortly after, we were on our way.  Papa thought he was getting pulled out of school for a doctors appointment so as soon as I saw him, he asked if he was getting a shot.  LOL I told him that there was no appointment and that he was coming with me and my co-workers to a Giants game.  He was SUPER excited.  I gave him his Giants hat and we headed to the train. 

The weather sucked that morning.  It was raining and cold! Thank goodness it cleared up and we were able to enjoy the game without getting rained on.  Papa was ECSTATIC.  My co-workers were right, if there was ANY time to go, THIS was it.  It was like we sat ON the field.  Literally shouting distance to the players.  Since Papa was the only kid for the first 1/2 hour, some of my co-workers yelled out for the catchers to "toss the kid a ball".  They were kind enough to throw a ball to Papa and he LOVED it.  The suite was stocked with hot dogs, burgers, candy, drinks, chips and the ballgame staples - peanuts and crackerjacks.  He SOAKED it all up! On the way home he kept talking about how much fun he had and mentioned that he got two of everything so he could share with his brother.  Sure enough he pulled out an extra backpack that they were giving away stocked with peanuts, crackerjacks and other fun game goodies.  He totally deserved the fun trip, he's such a good big brother. 

Siua and I try to do individual fun things with the kids so that they get one on one time with us.  It's hard to do when you have three but it's important to us to have individual relationships with each of them.  It was so sweet to be able to spend an entire day with my oldest child while he got the chance to do something he had been anxiously looking forward to.  Siua has something in the works for Joshy soon, let's hope it's just as good. :-) I LOVE the idea of making sweet memories with my babies.  I'm sure they won't forget them and neither will I.


                          My Papa Man and I on the train ride to the park.

                               Snapshot of my big boy on the train.

                      He wanted to make sure I got a picture of our tickets.  :-)

                                            View from Papa's seat. 

                                               "Toss the kid a ball!"

                                        Dozing off on the way home.

                                         "Put the camera away mom!"



Wordless Wednesday - Boys Will Be Boys!