Just thought I'd share where we're headed in about a month and a half or so ... it's our first trip of the year and I couldn't be more EXCITED! Squee!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
blah
My computer is still nice and messed up. My amazing blog designer Brooke helped fix my blog. Thank you Brooke! Blog entries are getting shorter and shorter. Hopefully this will stop once it's fixed!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Re-post
Hey guys,
So I just finished writing this post and when I posted it, it went back to when I first started working on it. Here's the link of my 'newest old' post ;)
Click here
So I just finished writing this post and when I posted it, it went back to when I first started working on it. Here's the link of my 'newest old' post ;)
Click here
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Quickly..
...trying to blog. Our computer was unknowingly filled with viruses, so we had my dad wipe it out and start over again. Well, even after we started over, certain pages are not loading and it is much slower than before. It is in need of some serious TLC.
Just wanted to share this image from pinterest .. I have been thinking about it a lot recently.
Just wanted to share this image from pinterest .. I have been thinking about it a lot recently.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
this weekend
This weekend was quite the Brooke-weekend ... everything we did was toddler friendly and fun. She was one lucky girl!
Started it off by having dinner at Brooke's friends house, Jonah. His mom made shabu shabu for everyone and it was ah-mazing. Oh my goodness!
Then we headed to the mall so sassy pants could play at 808 bounce, a store filled with bouncy houses. It wasn't open when we got there, so we had to wait quite a bit. Here she is cheesin' for the camera,patiently waiting for it to open
Finally opened! What the heck is Vance doing in there?! Haha, he looks like a little kid.
Headed to Toys R Us to look at toys ... any other moms think that Toys R Us should be re-named "Tantrums R Us?"
Then yesterday our town shopping center held an anniversary celebration. This lion dance, which was meant for good luck (or good fortune?) scared the BEEJEEZUS out of my sassy pants. She was literally shaking while Vance was carrying her!
One of the best parts of the celebration? Free shave ice!
Yummmmm. (If you're ever in Oahu, check out Matsumoto's, Aoki's, Waiola's or Aiea Ice Garden for amazing shave ice. And get it with ice cream, mochi balls and snow cap!)
Sassy girl's first taste of shave ice
Balloon twisters ... how insanely elaborate is this Mickey Mouse?!
Started it off by having dinner at Brooke's friends house, Jonah. His mom made shabu shabu for everyone and it was ah-mazing. Oh my goodness!
Then we headed to the mall so sassy pants could play at 808 bounce, a store filled with bouncy houses. It wasn't open when we got there, so we had to wait quite a bit. Here she is cheesin' for the camera,
Finally opened! What the heck is Vance doing in there?! Haha, he looks like a little kid.
Headed to Toys R Us to look at toys ... any other moms think that Toys R Us should be re-named "Tantrums R Us?"
Then yesterday our town shopping center held an anniversary celebration. This lion dance, which was meant for good luck (or good fortune?) scared the BEEJEEZUS out of my sassy pants. She was literally shaking while Vance was carrying her!
One of the best parts of the celebration? Free shave ice!
Yummmmm. (If you're ever in Oahu, check out Matsumoto's, Aoki's, Waiola's or Aiea Ice Garden for amazing shave ice. And get it with ice cream, mochi balls and snow cap!)
Sassy girl's first taste of shave ice
Balloon twisters ... how insanely elaborate is this Mickey Mouse?!
Friday, August 19, 2011
dear me,
a letter to myself, PB (pre-Brooke or pre-baby)
Dear Me,
Boy oh boy you are in for a wild ride. Your little girl (who was nameless for 9 months because you INSISTED on continuing to look for a name even though Vance had been dead set stuck on Brooke for about 4 months straight) is going to arrive and totally rock your world. In the absolute best way possible of course.
You will get fat. You will take your pregnancy as a chance to eat everything and anything in sight and you will feel fat and unattractive for 9 months. You will hate how pregnancy makes you look and feel because let's be honest, you've never gained 40 pounds in 9 months before. People will tell you that it's 'healthy' for the baby, and while you know that cognitively, you will have a hard time adjusting to your new body. In fact, the more you gain, the more depressed you feel and the more you eat. Now you finally understand the vicious cycle that many people battle in their lifetime.
When she does arrive, you will look at her and realize that yes, she has been a Brooke the entire time and that Vance was right. You will stare at the first real newborn you have ever held, the first diaper you have ever changed, the first baby bath you've ever given and you will think I can't believe you are finally here and so it was you all along. You will endure sleepless nights and feel like a zombie for 2 months straight. You and Vance will move your bedroom downstairs into the living room because Brooke has her days and nights mixed up and you don't want to wake up the neighbors in a townhouse. Every night you will both set your phone alarms and look at each other and say, "see you in 3 hours" and crash on the mattress next to each other. You will realize two years later that those were some of the most peaceful and sweet moments.
Your marriage will take a hit. Not at first right away, but you will take time adjusting to being a threesome instead of a couple and it will be hard. You will spend countless hours awake at night thinking did I marry the wrong person? Perhaps I would be happier with _____ or better yet, perhaps I would be happier single. And this is a mistake. You are going to see that couples really DO fight over changing the diaper genie and washing the dishes, but that those fights aren't really about trivial things like that but rather about needs that are unmet, disappointments and different expectations. It will take you months to realize that God does not make mistakes. That he makes ALL things beautiful in HIS time. And instead of feeling sorry for yourself and finding faults with your husband, perhaps you should take the time to pray for patience, to pray for the man sleeping next to you.
You will realize that marriage is just a piece of paper between two people, that the vows you took can easily be broken with the dreaded "d" word (divorce) and you will think selfish, selfish thoughts. You will look at celebrities who are divorced and found love the second time around and think that could be me. You will forget about the bond you once shared, the early days of laying awake all night together, talking and dreaming about your future.
It will take you time to come to terms with the fact that this is exactly right where you need to be. The right person, the right time, the right circumstances. That the Lord is teaching you a lesson in every situation. Not enough money this month? Maybe he is saying appreciate what you already have. Vance is angry again? Have patience. I am sculpting him to be the husband & father he needs to be. Maybe these hardships of marriage will only forge a closer bond, for we have both disappointed each other far more than we ever thought we would (or could) and chose to stay together.
Your friendships will change. How could they not? You have nothing in common with these girls anymore -- what with them going out every night, just starting a new career, a new relationship. They simply don't understand the importance of a routine in a baby's life, or how valuable a NAP is or why your toddler can't sit still in a high chair for longer than 10 minutes. Why, just a few short months before, YOU didn't understand any of that either.
But, you are extremely blessed. Your friends may not understand you and your new life, but it turns out it doesn't really matter. That some of them love your child like it's their own. That they don't judge you and are actually willing to listen to you talk about things that they just don't get, like the pains of nursing or co-sleeping with your baby.
The really important ones will make the time to see you, to talk to you. They will ask what's going on with Brooke and really listen for the answer. They'll boast to their families about how smart Brooke is partly because they've never been around another 2 year old, but also just because they're honestly proud. And one day in the future I will be able to look at their tired faces, the dark circles under their eyes and say possibly the best two words to say to a friend: I understand.
And what's even greater is that your friends will start expanding their families. You will get to love on their kids like they're your own. Even though you will still be incredibly awkward around kids after having your own it doesn't matter.
You'll make new friends, too. Friends that have babies and that DO understand what it's like to stay up all night with a sick baby and have to function the next day. You'll see that playdates aren't as bad as they sound and they can actually be a lot of fun once you see your kid love your friends' kids.
Oh, and by the way your aunty was totally and completely right when she asked you, "are you going back to work after you have a baby?" and you IMMEDIATELY answered "yes, I can't imagine anything worse than being a stay at home mom." She looked at you for a little bit and said, "wait until your baby is born. You might change your mind." She was right.
Now you can't imagine being away from your girl. You can't imagine anyone better to raise her, nurture her and be there for her to kiss away the tears when she's hurt. You can't see someone else witnessing your baby's first steps, her first words, the first time she uses the potty all by herself (which hasn't happened yet!)
What still surprises you to this day is how right everything feels at this moment. Maybe this life wasn't what you had in your "life plan," but God knows exactly what He is doing. Now you finally truly get the importance of being a FAMILY. Now you finally understand that babies-- every baby, from virtually every circumstance-- is a BLESSING. And now, more than ever, you are determined to make sure that your girl does not come from a broken home.
You will change drastically in the next two years. The main lessons you've learned? Love the people in your life. Be grateful and thankful for every moment, experience, person.
Be happy for this moment; this moment is your life
-Omar Khayyman
Dear Me,
Boy oh boy you are in for a wild ride. Your little girl (who was nameless for 9 months because you INSISTED on continuing to look for a name even though Vance had been dead set stuck on Brooke for about 4 months straight) is going to arrive and totally rock your world. In the absolute best way possible of course.
You will get fat. You will take your pregnancy as a chance to eat everything and anything in sight and you will feel fat and unattractive for 9 months. You will hate how pregnancy makes you look and feel because let's be honest, you've never gained 40 pounds in 9 months before. People will tell you that it's 'healthy' for the baby, and while you know that cognitively, you will have a hard time adjusting to your new body. In fact, the more you gain, the more depressed you feel and the more you eat. Now you finally understand the vicious cycle that many people battle in their lifetime.
When she does arrive, you will look at her and realize that yes, she has been a Brooke the entire time and that Vance was right. You will stare at the first real newborn you have ever held, the first diaper you have ever changed, the first baby bath you've ever given and you will think I can't believe you are finally here and so it was you all along. You will endure sleepless nights and feel like a zombie for 2 months straight. You and Vance will move your bedroom downstairs into the living room because Brooke has her days and nights mixed up and you don't want to wake up the neighbors in a townhouse. Every night you will both set your phone alarms and look at each other and say, "see you in 3 hours" and crash on the mattress next to each other. You will realize two years later that those were some of the most peaceful and sweet moments.
Your marriage will take a hit. Not at first right away, but you will take time adjusting to being a threesome instead of a couple and it will be hard. You will spend countless hours awake at night thinking did I marry the wrong person? Perhaps I would be happier with _____ or better yet, perhaps I would be happier single. And this is a mistake. You are going to see that couples really DO fight over changing the diaper genie and washing the dishes, but that those fights aren't really about trivial things like that but rather about needs that are unmet, disappointments and different expectations. It will take you months to realize that God does not make mistakes. That he makes ALL things beautiful in HIS time. And instead of feeling sorry for yourself and finding faults with your husband, perhaps you should take the time to pray for patience, to pray for the man sleeping next to you.
You will realize that marriage is just a piece of paper between two people, that the vows you took can easily be broken with the dreaded "d" word (divorce) and you will think selfish, selfish thoughts. You will look at celebrities who are divorced and found love the second time around and think that could be me. You will forget about the bond you once shared, the early days of laying awake all night together, talking and dreaming about your future.
It will take you time to come to terms with the fact that this is exactly right where you need to be. The right person, the right time, the right circumstances. That the Lord is teaching you a lesson in every situation. Not enough money this month? Maybe he is saying appreciate what you already have. Vance is angry again? Have patience. I am sculpting him to be the husband & father he needs to be. Maybe these hardships of marriage will only forge a closer bond, for we have both disappointed each other far more than we ever thought we would (or could) and chose to stay together.
Your friendships will change. How could they not? You have nothing in common with these girls anymore -- what with them going out every night, just starting a new career, a new relationship. They simply don't understand the importance of a routine in a baby's life, or how valuable a NAP is or why your toddler can't sit still in a high chair for longer than 10 minutes. Why, just a few short months before, YOU didn't understand any of that either.
But, you are extremely blessed. Your friends may not understand you and your new life, but it turns out it doesn't really matter. That some of them love your child like it's their own. That they don't judge you and are actually willing to listen to you talk about things that they just don't get, like the pains of nursing or co-sleeping with your baby.
The really important ones will make the time to see you, to talk to you. They will ask what's going on with Brooke and really listen for the answer. They'll boast to their families about how smart Brooke is partly because they've never been around another 2 year old, but also just because they're honestly proud. And one day in the future I will be able to look at their tired faces, the dark circles under their eyes and say possibly the best two words to say to a friend: I understand.
And what's even greater is that your friends will start expanding their families. You will get to love on their kids like they're your own. Even though you will still be incredibly awkward around kids after having your own it doesn't matter.
You'll make new friends, too. Friends that have babies and that DO understand what it's like to stay up all night with a sick baby and have to function the next day. You'll see that playdates aren't as bad as they sound and they can actually be a lot of fun once you see your kid love your friends' kids.
Oh, and by the way your aunty was totally and completely right when she asked you, "are you going back to work after you have a baby?" and you IMMEDIATELY answered "yes, I can't imagine anything worse than being a stay at home mom." She looked at you for a little bit and said, "wait until your baby is born. You might change your mind." She was right.
Now you can't imagine being away from your girl. You can't imagine anyone better to raise her, nurture her and be there for her to kiss away the tears when she's hurt. You can't see someone else witnessing your baby's first steps, her first words, the first time she uses the potty all by herself (which hasn't happened yet!)
What still surprises you to this day is how right everything feels at this moment. Maybe this life wasn't what you had in your "life plan," but God knows exactly what He is doing. Now you finally truly get the importance of being a FAMILY. Now you finally understand that babies-- every baby, from virtually every circumstance-- is a BLESSING. And now, more than ever, you are determined to make sure that your girl does not come from a broken home.
You will change drastically in the next two years. The main lessons you've learned? Love the people in your life. Be grateful and thankful for every moment, experience, person.
Be happy for this moment; this moment is your life
-Omar Khayyman
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
randomness on a wednesday
first of all, let me say that i have been waiting for season 5 dexter to come out on dvd for a long, long time. well, it feels like a long time at least. one of my best friend's bought vance & i season 1 of dexter for christmas when it first came out and it took me forever to get into the show. i thought it was dark and creepy and not at all my stye. until i sat down to watch it one day and i was hooked. it's on in the background as i type this and i am so very happy! (except the introduction to the show still gives me the creeps a little bit) oh and side note here, but i love the name dexter and the nickname dex :)
another dexter is going to be in the movie one day. i read the book recently and honestly, thought it was o-k. not the greatest in my opinion. very choppy and i felt a little incomplete, but i do think they could make a good movie out of it.
the hubs and i went to see the help a few nights ago. i am a little bit obsessed with the way the characters were dressed. and the cast was spot-on. hilly holbrook and celia rae foote?! amazeballs. the entire movie was great. they changed a little bit, but i guess that was expected.
vance's aunty makes the best cupcakes. they are chocolate cupcakes (soooo moist) with peanut butter frosting ... YUM!
my little girl showing off her dimples
for my mother-in-law's birthday we had diy pizza. it was absolutely amazeballs. vance said his aunty said the secret was to get good pizza sauce.
my loves.
from pinterest, i think this is totally hilarious & true.
another dexter is going to be in the movie one day. i read the book recently and honestly, thought it was o-k. not the greatest in my opinion. very choppy and i felt a little incomplete, but i do think they could make a good movie out of it.
the hubs and i went to see the help a few nights ago. i am a little bit obsessed with the way the characters were dressed. and the cast was spot-on. hilly holbrook and celia rae foote?! amazeballs. the entire movie was great. they changed a little bit, but i guess that was expected.
vance's aunty makes the best cupcakes. they are chocolate cupcakes (soooo moist) with peanut butter frosting ... YUM!
my little girl showing off her dimples
for my mother-in-law's birthday we had diy pizza. it was absolutely amazeballs. vance said his aunty said the secret was to get good pizza sauce.
my loves.
from pinterest, i think this is totally hilarious & true.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
We went back to the beach ...
for my sister-in-law's 25th birthday party. It was a beautiful day, but quite windy which caused 2 tents to break. Other than that, it was a lot of fun!
How lucky we are to live here:
Sassy girl loved playing in the sand.
& she actually went in the water today (multiple times!)
taking a juice break
eating edamame
blowing bubbles
boys playing portugese horseshoe
the birthday girl and her brother
happy quarter of a century to my wonderful, fabulous sister in law!
How lucky we are to live here:
Sassy girl loved playing in the sand.
& she actually went in the water today (multiple times!)
taking a juice break
eating edamame
blowing bubbles
boys playing portugese horseshoe
the birthday girl and her brother
happy quarter of a century to my wonderful, fabulous sister in law!
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