Kolohe Time

Beauty Is...

2009-10-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

So Harry had to complete a Reflections entry for a school assignment. For those who don't know, Reflections is an art contest sponsored by the national PTA. Anyway, he decided to take photographs, so we took a drive to the mountains. This is his favorite picture.
These are my favorites:

But really when it comes to Harry, my definition of beauty is more like this:
It is truly a gift to watch your children grow. Love you buddy! :)

What time is it?

2009-10-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, my sister and her husband have a little tradition...when one of them asks "What time is it?" The other one will answer "Now". The idea is to be present in whatever situation you are currently in. This idea has been percolating around in my cluttered head for weeks.

I have often prided myself (pride might be the operative word here, on the way to my "fall") at multi-tasking. But lately I have felt overwhelmed and disconnected. This feeling of disconnect is directly related to my working-mom-guilt. I realize now that the reason we are counseled to stay at home with our kids (if we are able) is because they will require all the multi-tasking, spiritual, organizational, problem-solving skills we possess, AND this will also require the majority of the HOURS given to us in a day. When I have to split my time between two places, sadly, by the time I get home, most of MY problem-solving, organizational, small-voice-listening magic has been used up at work.

So, I thought I would give it a try. Of course that would mean not posting a new blog at school (which I am doing right now LOL) and figuring out a way to separate my 500 item to-do list into different categories which I also realize many people already do! I often find myself correcting school work at home, and problem solving home issues at work...if I divide, maybe I can conquer...I'll let you know how it goes. Suggestions are welcome and MUCH needed!

Reasons to get up in the morning!

2009-09-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

The other morning I got up at 5:30 so I could nurse my sweet Neville before I go to work. The room was dark and cold, since I left my window open a tiny bit. I was superbly cranky, as I ALWAYS am in the morning. I usually wake up grumbling at BYUman in my head, because he gets to sleep in till 7:30! I stumbled to the bathroom, turned on the light and shut the door most of the way, leaving a little light. I turn to wake up Neville and this is what I see...
What more can a cranky-in-the-morning-mom want?

Summer Love!

2009-08-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous summer! We have had such a great time, with many gifts and blessings along the way. The cutest and best gift of all, was of course our new baby boy, whom we love and adore. I'm not sure what to call him on the blog, maybe Neville? Does it help to give your kids pseudo names on a blog and then share their names on facebook? Hmmmm? Any thoughts Jolayna? Anyway, we love our guy, he is an angel baby, sleeps 8 hours, doesn't spit up, doesn't cry very often (its OK to hate me, I totally get it) . We had a great time in Hawaii, my boys really loved it, and it was wonderful to be home again. BYU-man is totally in love with a tent system called EZ-Corner and was happy to be back in the land of Matsumoto's Shave Ice. Mom and Dad and Lia and Namu were so wonderful to share their home with us, and we loved hanging out with all the cousins. We were so excited to have Grandma and Papa here for baby brother's birth, what a special thing! We also had a fun time in Wyoming for my in-laws 50th anniversary! Congrats Mom and Pops! I hope to share some of our fun times on the blog in the coming days, although you might not want to hold your breath! Thanks for putting up with my slacker self!
Uncle Namu and Kaika surfing!
Matsumoto's!! Notice Uncle Namu's "skinny face"! LOL
PCC with the ohana!
Hiking Diamond Head! (I stayed at the bottom...I was WAY too pregnant!)
Our sweet baby boy!

Fun in Wyoming!!
I will post more later on!

BabyLove

2009-05-06T13:39:00.001-07:00

Honestly, is there anything more beautiful? As I waddle down the hall at school, squeeze my way into and out of my tiny, very low to the ground Honda and fall into bed every night with swollen ankles, I question my sanity. And then I see a picture like the one up above. Or a picture like this of an unborn baby, grasping the hand of a surgeon.
And I realize that it is all worth it, and babies really are miracles in every sense of the word. And then I remember that I also have these guys
And I wonder why I bother to feel sorry for myself at all. I am truly blessed, with one more on the way, what more could a Mom want? (I might need some kleenex, I am feeling a little emotional...imagine that! :)

Sign of the Times

2009-05-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

So, cute Ron loves to listen to his favorite sleepy time CD "Return to Pooh Corner" when he goes to bed at night. He has a little CD player next to his bed. Kenny Loggins works some serious magic on this CD. Anyway, last night he comes out to the front room, in a panic. "Mom! I pressed a button on that square thing under my CD player, and I can't get it to stop!!!" ROFL!!! Do you mean the tape deck buddy???? Heeeheee!

FIRE!!!!

2009-04-27T10:23:00.001-07:00

So, cute little Dobby goes to his Grammie's house every Tuesday and Thursday while BYU-Man and I both work at Butler. We "get" to drive by the factories in Bountiful and North Salt Lake every morning. And you may not have noticed, but there is fire coming from one or two smokestacks every morning. Have you seen Cast Away? Remember that part where Tom Hanks finally makes fire? This is the sound we hear every morning!!! It makes us giggle! :)

Blessings for our Boy

2009-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

We had a scare yesterday, Ron had two seizures early in the morning, and we spent the day at Primary Children's Hospital. It turns out he has a benign form of epilepsy that he should grow out of (by age 13) and that it should not have any lasting effects. Apparently this is fairly common. "Common to who??!" I wanted to scream, but we are counting our blessings this morning.

Our cute Ron had a nightmare sometime during the night, and crawled into our bed next to his Dad. We are so grateful that he was with us when he had the first seizure, although it terrified both of us. It was dark, 4:30 am, but BYU-man could feel him convulsing and I could hear this horrible gurgling sound. I thought he was going to throw up, but as it continued, I was afraid he was choking. He thrashed around a lot, we managed to "wake" him a couple of times, but it was clear that he was not coherent (even with his eyes open) and then he would just go limp, which scared me even more than the thrashing. We quickly dressed him and Marty drove him to the hospital (about 5 minutes away, OK maybe 10 in real traffic time). I spent the next couple of hours alternately freaking out and trying desperately to distract myself.

Then Marty called saying that Ron had a second seizure at the hospital and they were going to transport him to Primary Childrens. Thanks to my cute sister, I was able to leave the kids with her and drive down to the hospital. The only coherent thought I remember having is that I hope this stress doesn't put me into labor-that would so not be helpful! We are so very grateful that he had the second seizure. It meant that the doctor's took the time to figure out what was going on, rather than sending us home with the dreaded "come back if it happens again". If we had to have seizures, at least we were able to leave with some answers.We spent the day at the hospital. Ron was acting PERFECTLY normal by about 11:00, so by 4:00 when they finally let us go, he was definitely cranky, and not even the cool ambulance ride could make him feel better.

They did discover a cyst on the back of his brain, which is also "common" and they don't think it is a contributing factor to the seizures, but we will have an appointment with a neurosurgeon to make sure. He still also needs to get an MRI, and another followup appointment with a different kind of neuro-something (I have it written down somewhere, promise). But other than that, all is well.

I have a greater appreciation for families with chronic illness...and NO clue as to how they cope. I have a greater appreciation for the joy my goofy son brings me. I have a greater appreciation for the blessings that my Heavenly Father gives me. I have a profound appreciation for the power of the priesthood. And I have a greater appreciation for that saying that talks about having children being the same as having your heart walk around outside your body, or something like that. Thank you so very much for all the love and prayers....we used them all up!

Regional/Cultural Pseudo SwearWords

2009-03-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

So, Harry got a hamster this past Christmas. She looks pretty much like this picture and her name is Rose! Lately, she has been letting the boys pet her without biting (as much) and the boys have been enthralled with giving her access to her "free agency". (No kidding, those are the words they use, honest.)

So, over the weekend, I specifically told Harry and Ron they could let her out of her cage in Harry's room, but they could NOT take her downstairs to the play room (also known as the laundry room, the TV room, the water heater room..you get the idea of the myriad of possible tragedies). Sure enough, last night, a FRANTIC Harry comes running up asking if we have seen Rose, and informing us that he has lost her, DOWNSTAIRS. So while I am fuming and imagining "charred hamster", or even worse, "stinky dead-darn we can't find it" hamster, Harry comes back up to the kitchen and says "She is IN the couch, I can hear her!" In the same moment, Ron shows up around the corner with a POCKETKNIFE in hand and says, (with complete calm and sincerity) "Mom, can we cut up the couch?"

Three words pop into my mind, unbidden from childhood memory, when my sweet, hawaiian Papa used to scream at us, across the yard, as we were running for our lives....

GUN-FUNNIT YOU KIDS!!!!

See what I mean about regional/cultural pseudo swearwords? See??

Sick Day

2009-03-05T13:18:00.001-08:00

There are worse things than staying at home with a sick kid. I realize most people would not agree, but I enjoy the downtime. Now, make no mistake, I don't enjoy the crying, or the puking, or the crying or the puking. But I do enjoy the chance to lay down next to my sick Kaika and hear his sweet voice talking about school, and holding his hand so that he can fall asleep. Kaika is usually so active that I rarely get time to talk to him for more than 15 seconds. I do cherish the time to actually sit and read Harry Potter 1 to him, in small 20 minute windows. I enjoy the opportunity to really take the time to listen to my son, and to serve him, rather than to sandwhich his needs between the needs of everyone else. Working outside the home is a high price to pay, but it has taught me to love the quiet moments when they come.

And the baby is....

2009-02-23T19:38:00.001-08:00

Today we went to our ultrasound, for baby #4!! When we got there, the doctor introduced himself and then said "You might be surprised but someone told me I would see you today!" What??? He is the father of one of my students! Thankfully, his daughter is fabulous, otherwise that would've been kinda creepy! Anyway, we have another boy!! In fact, he is so much a boy, that both Marty and I figured it out before the doctor told us! :) Keep in mind that Marty hasn't been able to see anything in the last 3 ultrasounds! :) The doctor said the baby is the perfect size, and all parts look healthy! Woohooo. I was happy to see a straight spine, I tend to fixate on that a little bit. Not really sure why... Anyway, we are a little concerned because our babysitter's son just came down with Fifths disease. It is no longer contagious, but has an incubation of 1-4 weeks, and can be very dangerous for the fetus. So, I took a blood test today, to see if I have encountered Fifths Disease at another time in my life, in which case antibodies will show up, and all will be well. If there are no anti-bodies, then the real worry begins I guess, and I am not sure what that entails.
Regardless, we are very happy and excited. We were a little disappointed, because it would've been fun to have had a little girl, but we sure do like boys around here! But that only lasted a tiny bit, and now we are excitedly thinking about names, and how to rearrange bedrooms! Bring on the boys! :)

Nahinu's Dreams

2009-02-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

No, no, we are not talking about dreams of becoming rich, or an astronaut. We are talking about his dreams at night. I woke up this morning, and Hinu (who wakes up at the crack of dawn) started to tell me about a nightmare he had last night. It involved a cayman alligator chasing him. REALLY???!!!! You noticed the SPECIES????? In the middle of the nightmare???? I love that kid! :)

YUMMERS!

2009-02-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so we love a good football game at my house, at yesterday was no exception. And despite my conflict over TV on Sunday, we usually give in on SuperBowl sunday. I know, I know....Lame! But anyway, we made the YUMMIEST football food, and I thought we would share. If you are a fan of onion rings AT ALL, these will make you super happy.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/onion-strings-oh-yeah-baby/

PW’s Onion Straws

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes (more like 30-45 seconds) and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone.
Eat before your family sees them.
Repeat with another onion, because they’ll be really mad they didn’t get any.

All I have to say is, even though it was NOT baby's favorite, TOTALLY WORTH THE PAIN!

Love ya all!

16 things, cause 25 is WAY too much

2009-01-29T11:56:00.001-08:00

So a couple of my dear friends have challenged me (like 2 months ago) to list 16 things you might not know about me. I am terrified of this challenge, because if I can't come up with does that mean I am a HUGE loser? I think so. So, just pretend that you find my 16 items of interest, just that interesting.

alright, I am already in trouble.... not a good sign.

1. I hate fruit. Not Hawaiian fruit, but haole/mainland fruit. I am not a big girl for weird textures in my mouth and every fruit is a crap shoot...can't tell if it will be crisp, or mushy, or sweet or sour, and it is just too much for me. However, the baby LUH-HUVS clementines. The baby requires that I eat 4-5 clementines a day. Already this kid is giving me grief.

2. Speaking of babies, I have an irrational fear every time I get pregnant that I will be having twins. So far, so good. I actually have seen this baby in an ultrasound, and there is only one, so my irrational fear now, is that the baby will not let me see whether it is a boy or girl in February. Already this kid is giving me grief.

3. I love to watch golf. It still amazes me, especially those shots where the ball drops and then completely reverses direction, a la Tiger Woods. SHUTUP!

4. I love spam. It is the national food of Hawaii.

5. I fantasize about having an athletic body. You, know one of those bodies that responds when you ask it to do something? In my fantasy I get to run marathons, go backpacking with my boys, learn to scuba dive and lay on a beach, NOT looking like a whale. Oooh, and I would paddle canoes.

6. I just had a good one, and now it is gone. Sadly, that is fairly common.

7. Can't make jello. I have no idea how the jiggly stuff works, nor can I figure out what is the appropriate combination of fruit and flavors. It is just TOO MUCH. Can't do it.

8. I LOVE antiques. Not the fancy kind that goes for thousands of dollars, but the folk art kind that tells us what life was like a long time ago.

9. If I could have my dream job it would involve quilting, family history and travel. Not really sure how that would all work together, but there it is.

10. One of my joys is repurposing something, or solving a decorating problem on the cheap. For example, after we bought a flat screen TV, our entertainment center no longer worked, so I turned it into a closet for my bedroom. Because I didn't have one! LOVE IT!

11. I like to watch two kinds of TV shows, forensic police shows and cooking shows. Hmmmmm.

12. I don't like movies with sad endings. Life is tough enough already, and I REFUSE to spend $8 to be sad. What's the point in that? (I know there is some artistic, cutting edge thing to that, but I don't buy it).

13. I got engaged in 2 weeks. No kidding.

14. I hate to perform in front of people, but count competing at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival as one of my biggest accomplishments, for the very fact that I am NOT a performer.

15. I used to be a strong proponent of affirmative action, I am fairly certain that is one of the reasons I was admitted to Cornell (in Iowa). However, I have now decided that I would rather be judged on the content of my character, rather than the color of my skin. Funny, how our perception of what is fair changes over time. Although, did I mention that my first principal did not want to hire me because I wasn't white even though it was 1995? True story. Thankfully he was overruled.

16. I spent my first year of college in Iowa. Every friend I had in Hawaii, took me to see Field of Dreams. In Iowa I saw my first snowflake, was terrified by a swarm of GIGANTIC grasshoppers, and saw my first burning cross, in a car with a bunch of African American friends. It was terrifying. No field of dreams there.

So there, hope you are still awake. Now I can check one more thing off my to-do list.

Hide and Seek

2009-01-12T12:51:00.001-08:00

Can you see this cute kid?? Can you see the rascal in that smile?? Dobby's favorite game is "Hide and Seek With Dad's super important stuff". BYUman spends many an hour at our kitchen table working on homework. Dobby will sneak up and grab items from the table like pens, erasers, the calculator, cell phone...you get the idea. Then he runs to the couch and throws the item as far as he can, under the couch. His goal is to make it hit the wall, so that his Dad has to PULL the couch out to retreive the previously mentioned items. The funniest part is that Dobby DOES NOT need immediate gratification. If it takes his Dad 3 minutes or 3 hours to notice the missing items, it's all good. It's the joy of the game! Boy, are we in trouble! :)

The Magic of Christmas!

2009-01-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time we had this season! Both BYU-Man and I were out of school, so we have been spending a glorious two weeks as a whole family, sleeping in, playing games, hanging out...it really has been a joy. I did not however, seem to do a very good job at taking pictures...what kind of Mom am I? I guess truthfully, I am the kind of Mom who doesn't feel very well these days, and it shows. Harry had a great Christmas...he got a hamster that he promptly named Rose...and who managed to escape her cage, giving us a run for our money. Luckily Squeakers (the cat) appeared VERY interested a particular corner behind our dresser and BYU-Man was able to rescue her! Ron got a bike, but then informed us that he REALLY wanted a hamster (WHAT????!!!) So then we had to have the talk about how neither Santa, nor Mom can read minds, and that we need a heads up. Dobby got a dancing "wow-wow wubzy". If you are unfamiliar with that character, join the club, but it definitely makes him happy, happy, happy! So, wow-wow wubzy it is!
The night before Christmas, we decorated cookies for Santa, and set those out. However, the boys spent just as much time setting out treats for the reindeer. Please notice the 9 bowls complete with nametags and carrots. Between the bowls however, you might be able to notice the red glitter. Our neighbors gave us sparkly reindeer food, so that the reindeer could find our house. My boys laid it out in a runway pattern all the way down the drive...see what I mean about magic??
The other fabulous part of Christmas is spending time with family. We spent a PERFECT day with BYU-Man's parents on Christmas day, complete with a whopper of a snow storm. We ADORE spending time with Grammie and Papa, they always make everything so magical for our boys. A few days after Christmas we had a VERY AWESOME family party with the BYUman's extended family-LOVED IT! For New Year's we spent a few days with Aunty Kahi, Uncle Mike and their beautiful family. We had our traditional hawaiian feast, complete with teriyaki meatballs, kalua pig, guava cake, mac salad and Uncle Mike's chinese chicken salad. ONO!! I wish I had pictures to share the family magic, but I am sorely lacking this year. Suffice it to say that we are TRULY, undoubtedly and gratefully blessed with a family we love and who loves us. We MISS our family in Hawaii and Arizona, but are so grateful for the gift of the gospel and the peace it brings, even when we are all apart. We have also been blessed with friends whom we love and adore and enrich our lives in ways that continue to touch us long after they have left. We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, know that we love you and will do our best to blog more in '09!!!

Babyland

2008-12-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

We are expecting Baby #4 in July! Woooohooooo!!! We are so excited to welcome a new spirit to our home, and the boys have endless debates and requests regarding the baby, even though I am only 9 weeks along. Ron asked if he could hold the baby, but was very firm about the fact that he would NOT change DIAPERS. And Dobby was singing down the hall today, and informed me that he was practicing so that he could sing the baby to sleep. As is often the case with pregnancy, I have a VERY queasy stomach and smells are not my best friend. This particular pregnancy I have been sicker than any of the other 3 and so far it has not been very fun. Last night I was hiding downstairs, with the fan on (it is 18 degrees out tonight) because my sweet husband was making burritos, and the smell of the meat cooking was more than I could bear. After dinner, Ron came down and offered to bring me dinner in bed, so that I could hide from the smell, but still eat. He found a TV tray, convinced his Dad to help him warm up the burritos, brought me water to drink and ranch to put on my burrito. It was a sweet gift, that not only filled my hunger but touched my heart (can you tell I am hormonal?). Afterwards, the whole family climbed onto our bed, and looked at photographs that showed what the baby looks like as it grows in my belly. I love, love, love my boys, but they are NOTHING but noise and energy ALL DAY LONG. To spend 20 minutes with them, talking about our new family member, and hearing all their questions and thoughts, is truly a gift. Truly. Despite my sickness, the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to lay in bed, and simply talk with my boys, one on one, since I am too ill to move around and get caught up in "stuff" that has to be done. I am blessed beyond measure.

Jesus is the Christ

2008-12-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

So my sweet Harry loves to watch TV, everything from Disney channel to the Discovery Channel. We really like the Discovery Channel at our house. But last night they were advertising a show called "The real story of Jesus". Harry walks by the TV and says, "That's dumb, that they don't know the true story of Jesus. Everyone should know that". Out of the mouth of babes, comes the truth will all need to hear. And the reminder that the true story can be found in the scriptures and in our hearts, not in the fancy, schmancy media world.

Happy Birthday Harry!!

2008-12-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Today is Harry's birthday and I thought we would list 9 reasons why we love Harry!
1. Best Smile Ever!!
2. He loves to read, and he still lets me read to him as a treat, even though he is so good at it. One of our favorites of course is Harry Potter. I really love reading with him.
3. He loves new information and always wants to learn new things! Kid practically has a photographic memory!
4. Man, can he talk! When he was little, Aunty Lia used to ask me if he ever stopped talking. The answer is still, NO! I adore that he talks and try to remind myself that as a teenager, he will probably stop.
5. His laugh, still, still makes me happy.
6. His favorite scripture story is the Army of Helaman! You go boy!
7. His super smart school self and work ethic!
8. His energy! He moves non-stop all day (unless he is watching TV), falls asleep quickly, and then wakes up at the crack of dawn. Still beats me EVERY MORNING!
9. He is thoughtful and kind and such a help to us!

True Talent (hahaha)

2008-12-04T12:48:00.001-08:00

So last night, my sweet Dobby, was hanging out, watching TV with us, and someone was performing on a stage. He said "Mama, I have never seen you on a stage". So, I explained that I had no talent for singing and I wasn't good enough to be on a stage. "But Mama, when you sing it is beautiful. One day, if I am with Dad and Ron and Harry, can we watch you sing on a stage?" Sometimes, your children are your greatest gift and grant your deepest desires. I have always wished that my boys would have great memories of bedtime singing...now I know.

Do you hear what I hear?

2008-11-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

Election night was a little disconcerting in our home. While we recognized the historic moment and were extremely grateful for the peaceful transfer of power in our country, some of us were not as pleased as others.
Need I say more?

Halloween

2008-11-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

I finally have proof of our Harry Potter mania....have you ever seen a cuter one? My 2 older boys were fabulous NINJAS...proof of the chaos that reins among my boy-barians!!! And please, NO MORE SUGAR! We have quite enough, thank you!
Also proof it is some times difficult to get cute pictures when children are amped up on sugar!

Sparklies!!

2008-10-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

So last night, Dobby was up later just with BYUman and I. We were both working on homework and grading, when Dobby walks up with the biggest grin, so very proud of himself! He is holding a rock in his hand that he has covered with toothpaste. Hmmmmm. When BYUman asked him what the heck he was doing, his grin got bigger (if that is possible) and said "I wanted to make it spark-a-lee." Ah, the joy of innocent fun! Of course, later we found him in the bathroom, making his book sparkly. Shoulda seen that one coming from a mile away!

Ron in Kindergarten!

2008-10-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

So, Ron started kindergarten this year! It has been a little bit of a tough start because he started the year off in all-day kindergarten and then switched to half-day kindergarten. While we are happy that Ron moved to a class where the curriculum moves faster, he does miss his old classmates! Apparently he has a little bit of a "superstar" thing goin' on. Everytime he sees his old class, they all call his name like he is "THE MAN"!! Do you think it will go to his head?

Expelliarmus, BAM!

2008-10-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

So today on my drive home from work, I was listening to Harry Potter 6 on my ipod (because it is WAY more fun than all the depressing economic news) and my cute little Dobby was hanging out in the backseat, calmly listening as well. All of a sudden, I hear a HUGE SCREAM from the backseat! EXPELLIARMUS, BAM! We do love Harry Potter around our house (even BYUman has grudgingly given in to the mania) and Dobby loves nothing better than to run around the house with a pencil or chopstick screaming spells. Everything from rickashampra (I'm not sure about that one) to stupefy!! Of course, the code question for nap with Dobby is also "Want to go watch harry potter?" Last year for Halloween, Harry and Ron were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Harry is currently reading Harry Potter 6 so that he and I can go to the movie next summer together. AND, one of my students made me a wand so that when I tried to "stupefy" my students I would actually have a chance at success. So far...no luck! Have I mentioned that we like Harry Potter?
PS Sadly, I can't find any pictures to prove our devotion...what kind of mother am I???!!!!

It's About Time...

2008-10-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so I finally decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon! Mostly because I am the only loser in my family that is not doing that, but also because a friend of mine pointed out that it is a record of my family....and you KNOW how much I love me some good family history. I would like to figure out how to get a cuter background though....Hanu? Anyone? Btw, my cute sisters, you are all such great writers and I love love love to read about your cute kids who I all adore! Welcome to the family sweet Chloe! Anyway, love to all, I'll try to get this going in the next couple of days! :)