Another Blessing For Our Family

photo credit: zazzle.com greeting card

Last Thursday 11/29/12 on Nesi and Mom's birthday our family
got another surprise and wonderful news. I'm expecting! I was
scheduled to go in for my colposcopy Friday morning at 11:45
when I decided to run to the store Thursday night to get me a
pregnancy test. After the swollen feet on thanksgiving night and
bouts of nausea after smelling certain foods, I was certain that
I was pregnant. But wasn't sure, since it's been like 8 years or
so. After seeing the double lines on the stick, I knew I had to
make a call asap in the morning to let them know that the test
came back positive.

The day before I was on the phone with them and they asked
if I've already had my period, so it wouldn't interfere with the
surgical procedure and I told them that I hadn't had my period
and was still waiting. So they asked my when I last had it and
told me to get tested before coming in or I could go in and they
could do a test on me. So I decided against the latter, since I
was too eager to find out.

Dh is so excited that he was just walking around the house
singing and smiling! I was feeling happy and scared at the same
time. Thankful for the blessings, but totally not loving the morning
sickness deal. Most of this weekend, I've just stayed in bed with
closed doors, not able to handle the smell of my husband's
cooking in the kitchen. When I called mom to say happy birthday
to her, I also told her of the news and she was surprised and
asked me, "How long has it been since the last one?" Not sure
if she was happy for me, I said, "I know it's been a while and I
thought I was done as well." She told me that Heavenly Father
has more planned for me and to just pray about it. I'm one year
away from turning 40 and it's still a surprise to me, when I wake
up in the morning and thinking about it.

The kids are excited and arguing whether it's going to be a girl
or a boy. Loni says that it should be another boy to make it even.
3 boys and 3 girls..lol..Nesi said she's thankful for whatever He
blesses us with, she just wants a baby sibling to feed, change,
play and talk with.

Thanksgiving and Nesi's Birthday

Thursday- Thanksgiving 11/22

This thanksgiving turned out to be different. We had a full house 

but not for thanksgiving but for a funeral here in town, a friend 

of my husband's family. My girls flew down from Salt Lake to 

spend some quality time with us and we ended up cooking 11 

hours straight until 9:50 pm for this funeral to feed about 200+

people for that day. By the time 10pm hit my feet were so

swollen, I told my hubby that I'm done and going to put my feet up.

My hubby asked if we could cook that day with his sister, but 

she was arriving late from Nevada..so my girls and I did most of

the cooking. I felt bad for the girls because we hadn't had a chance

to sit down and spend some time together and they were hungry 

from their flight. So I told my hubby he'd better compensate the 

girls, since they came down to spend time with me, not cook for 

a funeral they were not going to. So he agreed. 

Dh's sister, brother and two other friends of the family flew in for

this funeral. So the house was pretty packed and we only have 3 

bedrooms. I slept with all the children in our bedroom and dh 

camped out in the living room with his two friends. His brother 

took Loni's room and his sister took Nesi's room. So it all worked

out.

Friday- Celebrating Nesi's birthday 11/23

Nesi's 8th birthday was coming up on the 29th, same day with 

my mom and so I decided that we were going to celebrate it 

the next day since everyone was here. Nesi was not only excited 

but was thankful that her sisters were here to be with her. 

Dh's sister offered to buy the birthday cake from Costco since 

we were still feeling the effects of cooking the day before and I 

had to run to work. By the time we were singing happy birthday 

later that night, my phone was no where to be found and I ended 

up not having any pictures for Nesi's birthday. But her sisters did

take some and posted them here on Instagram.

Happy 64th birthday mom!! Love you!

Hope your Thanksgiving was a wonderful one!

 

Ami's First Letter from His Mission!

Ami getting ready to go into the MTC.

My mom called me last night to let me know that Ami has
finally written them back through, Meliani. He says that
he is doing great and they're living in a barn. Not sure if
that was a joke or not. Maybe it was...so slow here.
Anyways, he was so excited to say that he and his comp
anion are doing great and have already baptized their first
family and are still working on the eldest son.

If you don't remember where he was heading, he's serv
ing in Fort Worth, Texas Mission. I wrote him through
www.dearelder.com and didn't hear back from him and
then found out that the day I wrote him was the day that
he left the Provo MTC to head out to Ft. Worth.

So glad to hear that he's doing well and hopefully not really
living in a barn. Hope it's a nice one if he is. I just put the
youngest ones to bed after we had read scriptures and a
family prayer. Now to go and pack up his boxes to send
out in the morning. Just seeing his letter made my day.

Week Full of Busy Preparations...

Lets say the past two weeks, I've been worrying about the headlines
I've been seeing online and the news about what's going on around
the world regarding the droughts, articles about the collapse of the
financial system coming ahead as soon as this month or September.
yikes! etc...

It's got to the point where I'm using every dollar I get in my hand
to purchase canned food, meats, veggies..whatever I can find to
stockpile our cupboards. I'm still short in the first aid kit department
but slowly getting there. Hubby thinks I'm crazy and says that I
worry too much. I tell him to watch the news with me and he really
doesn't get it. So the week before Cash and Carry had a great deal
on the tomatoes 25 lbs for $13 and 50 lbs of white or yellow onions
went for $8 and change..I bought those and the strawberries to
bring home and make some jam and freeze all the onions and toma
toes, by cutting, dicing, slicing them into ziplock bags and freezing
them. Next up I'm ready to learn how to can or pressure cook the
chicken.

Hubby and I have worked up enough money to pay the rent for
3 months. So that should give us leeway to keep adding to our
stockpile.

my little helpers, Nesi and Loni helping me peel the onions. Loni
was too shy to be on camera.

I got rushed and accidentally added the sugar before the pectin and
now I have a runny jam. Not so happy with that one. Did finish the
whole bag of onions and glad that we let them sit in a bowl of cold
water to avoid getting tears while we're cutting them.

So making a wreath yesterday wasn't part of preparation. I saw the
tutorial on how to make it and had all the items already in my house to
make it and so proud of myself that I finally made a wreath that I
actually like and want to hang up. It took up 1 18 inch. straw wreath,
200 floral pins and corn husks to make this awesome wreath. It was
really messy too..

Ami's Mission Call...

Thursday night my phone was still not working (it's been a week or so)
and I haven't been able to keep in touch with the older children in SLC.
I've been thinking every night and day about my eldest son's mission
papers that he's submitted. He posted an update on Facebook about
how frustrated he's been lately with not hearing back from them about
his papers, then my little brother jokingly comments to go back to his
bishop and tell everything that he's keeping behind and forgot to tell
bishop. So I inboxed him and asked him to pray some more for help
from Heavenly Father. Didn't hear back from him, then I noticed on
Thursday he no longer has a facebook page.

I then get inboxed by my eldest daughter Tia that he got his papers
for his mission in the mail and won't open it until that evening when
my parents get off of work. Nobody contacts me yet about where he
is getting called to because they were busy getting ready to fly out to
San Francisco to a family reunion for my mom's Taumoepeau family.

Just found out that his mission call will be on August 22nd! 

I really wished that we could've gone to that reunion. I haven't seen
my cousins for over 20 years..yes, long overdue. My children need
to see their cousins and know who their family is. But due to bills
and a house to pay for, we just won't be able to go.

I finally get onto fb last night [friday night] and my daughters had
already announced it on their updates that he got called to Fort Worth,
Texas! I cried tears of joy and felt so happy and at peace that he
will finally be able to go.I wished that I was there at that moment
to sit with him while he opened it.

Now that everything is for sure and guaranteed, I've switched into
preparedness mode. My parents are paying for his mission, even
though I asked them not to and that I will make payments on it.
But they've been adamant about paying it off before he leaves. So
I figure the least I could do is to stock up on ties, shirts, suits and
shoes..etc. Time has gone by so fast and I hope that in the future
Ami will be able to convert his father to the gospel. His father has
always disliked the Mormon church and felt that things couldn't work
out between us because he was a strong Methodist and I a Mormon
who wouldn't convert to his church. It's been years since he's seen
his father or heard from him and I told him, Ami maybe you will
be the first to convert him and help him out and he just shook his
head. I pray that Heavenly Father will help heal his broken heart and
give him hope for a better future with his earthly father and I. We
haven't always been there for him and I hope he'll forgive us for
our parental mistakes one day.

Memorial day weekend, birthday and family time

Hope your Memorial day weekend was a good one! I'm glad to be back
and writing again. It's been another couple of weeks and I hadn't planned
on being away so long. So what's new? For me, I've been trying to get in
as much time with my online courses learning more sewing and today...
gardening. I got paid today and said good-bye to most of my check as
they went to the utility bills, then I treated myself to a new online garden
ing course with Craftsy.com. The week before we celebrated Loni's 9th
birthday. He wanted coconut-cream cupcakes or cake and I made him a
Bakugan cake.

For Memorial day, we just spent family time in the back yard, cutting the
grass. The grass was so long it was up to our thighs, so Mel took to the
over-grown grass with the lawn edging machine or however you call it.
While I took over the bbq he started of Teriyaki chicken and hot dogs.
The kids had tons of fun running around the back-yard and helping rake
up the mounds of grass. 

Last week, I got caught up with making cupcakes with the kids. It was
fun, but after gaining an extra 8-9 pounds tasting and what not..it wasn't
so fun anymore. So I left cup-caking to another time where I'm more in
control of my will power. You can go here for the Hawaiian cupcakes 
recipe at Foodista, recipe by Leah Rodriguez. They're sooo yummy, you
have to stop yourself at one or else you'd eat the whole batch..hmm,
kinda sounds like what we did..

 Hawaiian Cupcakes with Coconut Cream

Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet cupcakes and Lemon Cupcakes 

with Lemon curd filling

Guava rose cupcakes with Guava buttercream

This week I started a welfare group with my friends, Umu and Ta. 

What we're doing is taking turns buying $50 worth of products for

the person of the week. So Umu is this week and Ta and I would 

buy her $50 worth of products that she wants for emergency stash. 

She's requested $50 worth of Scott's Toilet paper and cases of 

bottled water from Costco from me, Then she'd request something 

else from Ta, again $50 worth say, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Next

week is Ta's turn and her requests, then my turn the week after. 

We're doing this every week until our stockpiles are full and set for

winter, when the guys aren't doing construction anymore.

So it works out for us. Other groups would have 9 women and do

$20 per person. So it depends on the group you're in and the women's

needs in the group. We do make sure that we only deal with women 

who won't flake out. So that's a quick look at what I've been up to 

for the past couple of weeks. Hope this week brings you and your 

family many blessings. I'd love to hear how your week is going!! 

Learning to Quilt

Yesterday morning, Yolanda and I decided to get together
to learn how to quilt on our own. We wanted to do some
thing like Hawaiian Quilts, but more on the side of how
the Tongan ladies do it with a more simpler design. She
called me up to meet her at a cheap fabric store with beau
tiful fabrics for less.

I'm pretty excited by all the fabric I see in this place and
for an affordable price. I can definitely see myself coming
here very often! I've never made a quilt before and figured
we'd need batting and all the necessary stuff you'd need
to make a quilt. Yolanda brought one for us to go off of
and it seems pretty easy to make.

We purchased 2 yards of this white quilted fabric and 2 yards
 of velvet fabric (to be cut out with designs) in two different
colors, emerald green and mustard yellow. I'm sure it'll
look nice. We decided to do the sewing at my place. Well
when we got to my place we laid out the quilt and looked
at the pattern and decided that we needed bigger tracing
paper to copy the pattern on the quilt. An hour or two later
and a trip back from Wal-Mart, we have a paper ready to
go, taped and copied. By the time we're done cutting the
entire pattern, it's already time for Yolanda to hurry home
to pick up her kids from school.

I'm really liking this whole quilting thing, it's pretty relaxing
and I'm already thinking up my own patterns for baby
Hawaiian Quilts. I just want to start small. Right now,
I'm drawing up my own before I head out to work today.

Have a great weekend, happy Friday!

 

Check List

Yesterday morning I woke up at 6 am to the alarm
on his cell phone going off, reminding me to arise
and get the kids bathed and ready for school. As I
was sitting up my lower back was aching from extra
weight gained since my return back home.

After seeing the kids get on the bus, I decided to do
something about it, but before that I would get the
house cleaned up and my last two loads of laundry
done before leaving the house.

I was behind in going to the temple for a session,
and was planning to go with Yolanda to the temple
but leave by 9 am. Yolanda texted the night before
to see if we could leave by 11 am since her kids
will be having a late start for school. I said, sure
not knowing that I would find out in the morning
that 11 am wouldn't work for me either as my
children will be getting out of school early at 1 pm.
and sessions are for 2 hours. So that wouldn't
work for me. So it'll be initiatories for me then,
I'll still be able to make it in and help in some way.

After returning from the temple, I decided to put
in the Zumba disc and play it on the Wii. It's been
a while and I need to get some exercise in for today,
I've been slowly watching my arms and derriere get
bigger and decided I need to get back to where I
need to be, a size 10. (I haven't been that size since
my second child, which was 17 years ago.) I did a
full hour workout going through three levels :) by
the time the kids walked in through the door from
school I was on the last part of my cool down
session. They cheered me on and said, "Burn that
fat, mom!" I was too sweaty to give them a hug,
so they got a smile and thank you instead. 

Those were my two biggest things that needed
to get checked off on my to do list. I'll be back
to doing Zumba today again after a good hour
of walking.

What's on your Check Off List today?

 

General Conference Catch Up

On Saturday we watched both sessions of General Conference.
It was wonderful to hear the messages given, I felt renewed
and spiritually fed. Loni my 8 year old actually listened and
told me that he loves the talks that were given. It really made
me happy to hear him say that, Nesi already had her General
Conference booklet in hand from her Sunday school teacher.
So that kept her busy for a while.

I also was contacted by my supervisor asking if I could cover
for a co-contractor on Sunday in Sherwood. I was told that she
is in the hospital, so I agreed and covered for her yesterday.

I really wanted to stay and enjoy General Conference, but knew
that we are struggling and I need to help out Mel with the finances
and figured that I'll catch up,while the kids are in school on Monday
morning.

This morning I did just that. After getting the kids to school, I
turned up the computer so that I could hear the messages from
the kitchen while washing the dishes and cleaning the house.

While listening to our President and Prophet, Thomas S. Monson
and others speak, I thought about the list of things that I was going
to change about myself starting today. These are things that I took
from the messages and talks given Saturday and Sunday.

• Family time is precious and hold our family home evenings every Monday night no matter what. Change our schedules so that nothing else is held on Monday nights but FHE [Family Home Evening]
• Don't Judge Others 
• Spend more time in the service of others
• Preparing my daughters to be prepared as women before reaching Relief Society through self-reliance, making sure they're not spiritually deprived, take them with me on my visiting teaching assignments so that they can learn early on how to reach out to our fellow relief society sisters to strengthen the homes of Zion.
• Reading the scriptures daily as well as the church magazines with the family to strengthen our family relationship and home. 
• Be closer to my hubby, family and siblings. 
• Pray always with family and for them

 

 

Downton Abbey...My New Favorite TV Show

I recently did a book review of The Maid of Fairbourne

Hall by Julie Klassen and learned about the way things are

run in a Hall in England. I've been fascinated ever since

that book review and then came upon Downton Abbey on
PBS channel last month. I then found out that the Season 1 

of Downton Abbey was also on Netflix as well. I can 

tell you that on Tuesday we watched all of it in one sitting

while packing all our 72 hour backpacks for emergencies.

(I figure if we're going to watch this we might as well be 

doing something useful at the same time..)

Yes, it's that good and soo addicting. I love the characters 

and can't wait to see Season 2. The costumes are exquisite

and I just can't get enough. The girls love to watch for 

the fashion. I just like that it's somthing different from
what's on tv every night.

Which is another reason I want to get my sewing on!
I've been searching for all types of Edwardian patterns
that I can get my hands on. My favorite is the Gibson
Girl blouse top pattern that can be found on amazon.com

The Cast of Downton Abbey..

The Crawley Sisters of Downton Abbey in Vogue

Click here for the article.

The Crawley Sisters & their mother. 

Thank goodness it's Sunday tomorrow. I always find myself 

counting down the days until Masterpiece Theatre comes on. 

Handing Out Mother's Cookies at Work

Yesterday was a great day at work. My second day and what's
more fun than getting paid to hand out cookies and coupons?
I had so many women taking a sample and leaving the coupon
saying that they'd eat the whole bag if they bought it. Others
just beamed as soon as they saw the Circus Animal cookies
and said that it reminded them of their childhood. I had to take
a picture of it and forward it to my supervisors. Hope they ok
it. I sold out of cookies by my 4:10 pm. and then got my paper
work signed by the manager, cleaned up and then headed home.

Today's going to be even better! I'm going to be passing out
Oreo cookies, Oreo 100th birthday party hats and $1/1 coupons.
I'll be asking shoppers to sample a free Oreo and have a Oreo
licking contest where winners will win a free Oreo 100th Birthday
Sticker. I love my part-time job!

I'll update you later on a picture and what happened. Other than
that I'm going to turn in for an hour then get up to wake the kids
for school. oops, forgot it's Saturday today.. Happy Saturday!

My New Favorite Hobby....Sewing

Yes, my friends..ever since I became a seamstress 

at Beehive Clothing. I walked away wanting to sew

more. So I bought myself a new machine. After 

paying bills, I decided to go with something afford

able and that wasn't going to break down on me. 

I've only had experience on the commercial power

machines and figure the home machines should be

a cinch. So I got on to Craftsy.com bought a few 

courses on sewing dresses, couture techniques,

hand tailoring and more. I'm telling you, it's addicting! 

first one class, then another one! I'm also addicted to

Pinterest and all the lovely DIY, Cooking and Sewing

ideas found on there.

So far I've sewn a plaid scarf (from a pillowcase) off 

a tutorial I found on Pinterest. Now I'm waiting for a 

Vogue pattern arriving any day now for the Couture 

Dress tutorial I signed up for on Craftsy! So excited

about my new hobby, I stocked up on items I might

need for upcoming projects at Walmart this morning.

So I wouldn't have to run to the store for a while.

Here's what I've found fun to make so far from 

Pinterest. I'll update you later on how I did with the

Couture Dress Tutorial and the Starlet Suit Jacket 

Tutorial. Want to check out a free tutorial? They 

have one on how to make Dipped, Dusted & Rolled

Handmade Chocolates. I love that one!

The tutorial is here at Vermillion Rules

My version of The T-Shirt Ruffle Scarf! 

(took me a minute or two to make it!)

My trusty Janome machine. I'm wanting the
Threadbanger machine, but that one sold out
on Amazon.com, so this one will do for now:)

new sewing tools, most of them were .97c ea.
at Walmart.

What are your favorite hobbies?

Latest Updates....

Hi Friends! It's been a while since I've been on here and
alot has happened since I last posted from Salt Lake. I'm
currently back in Portland and working again. This time,
I'm getting my contractor license back up again to be able
to start working and pay off my son's mission coming up
pretty soon. How much? $10k....Yes, my eldest son is
going to be 19 on the 10th this month and getting ready
to put in his papers to serve the Lord. I'm so excited for
him and the road he's chosen to take. I found a little part
time job on the side that's part time and the pay isin't so
bad. I'm sure you're itching to find out...I'm started last
week as a product demonstrator for $12 an hour. That's
not bad, considering people are out there looking for a job.
I thought it was something to do in my spare time while
getting everything set up again for the business.

Last week, we finally received our tax refund and paid
some bills and saved the rest to get re-licensed and all.
I really miss Salt Lake and my old job at Beehive Clothing.
It was a wonderful environment to work in and I made
friendships for a lifetime. Now, I'm on to a new chapter
and new things. On my exit interview with my supervisor,
she gave me some great advice and told me that I can
always come back there someday if the family moves
back to Salt Lake again.

Taking her advice, I'm keeping myself busy these days
with the kids, working and starting the hobbies I've
always wanted to start but kept putting off. (That's on
my next post) Although I was really busy in Salt Lake
working and all, I did shed some 35 pounds when I was
there. When I got there I weighed 300 pounds, coming
back, I finally got the chance to weigh myself and
really glad to see that I now weigh 265. I still am trying
to go down to my weight goal of 180 pounds. That's
another post as well..

How was your week?