Him.

He's currently working tonight, Christmas Eve & Christmas evening.  Tonight at midnight I received a text from him wishing me a Merry Christmas.  I feel the need to express how much I appreciate him. Our girls and I are so fortunate to have a man like him in our lives; who goes above and beyond in providing for our family and doing it with a smile. He's the greatest gift I've ever received- without him, I wouldn't have my two beautiful daughters and 8 years of beautiful memories and growth to reflect on. 

This Christmas I didn't have anything on "my list."  I've got all I could ever want and need. I've got the most loving, caring husband and two gorgeous girls.  I'm forever thankful. 

Girls Day Out

I decided to do the unthinkable & take our girls to see a movie.  It's obvious we're love all things Disney so I decided to take the girls to see The Good Dinosaur.  Ane loves Dinosaurs so I knew she'd enjoy it.  She's also at the age where she can sit through entire movie without a problem.  Tai on the other hand is at the age where she gets bored easily & loves to wander.  Therefore, I planned for us to attend the movie around Tai's nap time. 

I decided to take them to Galaxy Theater which is one of Sage & I's favorite theaters to go on date nights.  The main thing that makes this theater incredible is they have big, comfy leather chairs that recline all the way back so you can watch any movie in comfort.  One time Sage & I had caught a late night movie & both knocked out, that's how comfortable it is! 

Anyways, about 20 minutes into the movie Tai began to fuss but luckily our assigned seats were in the back in an area where I could stand.  Ane was sitting next to this little boy who was near her age & when Tai got a little loud he shushed her.  Ane didn't like him shooshing her sister & quickly shoo shed him right back LOL!  Thankfully his parents were understanding & we smiled & nodded & calmed our sour patch kids down.  Tai eventually dozed off which was so nice!  I was able to comfortably recline with her laying on me & enjoyed the rest of the movie.

Ane had another precious tearful moment during the movie.  Without ruining it, there's a very touching moment in the end of the movie.  Ane smiled and watched with her wide eyes & to my surprise there were tears streaming down her face.  I'm a complete crybaby so of course, I joined her & there we were, just crying happy tears & holding hands.  Lol!  

Sage says she not only looks like me, she has my emotions too.  Oh welllp, I rather her be overly emotional then completely unemotional. 

Today was a good day & as my girls grow I hope to have more girls days out! 

"Mommy, take a picture of me & Spot!"

This was after the movie.  Anelia was hyped off of her Icee & Tai was ready to go. 

Queen size full of love

I'm currently laying on a queen sized bed with my entire world surrounding me.  My right arm is slowly falling asleep due to the weight of Anelia's head.  I can feel Tai's little feet digging into my back.  Anelia & Sage are both snoring, there's no break from the noise.  As she breaths out, he breaths in.  To most, this would seem like an uncomfortable setting to sleep in, but for me, as I lay here I can't help but reflect on all the love this bed holds. 

This is my family.  This is what my life is truly all about.  My world revolves around these three beings.

My heart... And my bed, are completely full.

Xo. 

Whole Kernel Corn

With the cold weather who doesn't enjoy some delicious corn chowder?  Sage's mom makes an amazing corn chowder so Sage & I went to the store & attempted to make her recipe.

The recipe called specifically for 2 cans of creamed corn.  Well, in the chaos of us shopping with our two loud, impatient girls; I grabbed 1 can of creamed corn & 1 can of whole kernel corn.  This is so typical of me. *rolls eyes*

As we were throwing all of the ingredients in the pot Sage emptied the whole kernel corn can & he immediately became irritated.  I can't help but laugh as I think of it because I always mess recipes up one way or another.  Well, he then said "it's ruined... We have to start over!"  I then told him he could finish cooking it alone because I wasn't going to start all over & left the room.  Yup, we're human folks & we fight over whole kernel corn. 

He ended up going against the recipe &  kept the whole kernel corn in the pot.  The meal was ready & when I tried it I sarcastically said "Ugh, this whole kernel corn ruined this whole thing!"  We both laughed. 

This whole experience was a little lesson that can be applied to life.

Mistakes are inevitable- regardless of how "ruined" things may seem, give them time or improvise.  The outcome may not be perfect but it will still be close enough or "just as delicious!"

Drama Princess

Anelia has always been quite the drama princess.  She's never struggled with expressing herself whether that be with tears or lots of laugh or smiles.  She also has always had a passion for animals, especially dogs.  Since she was born she's been surrounded by Ziggy, Momi & Popo, Sage's family's dogs.  They were her first friends as sad as that sounds lol! 

Now that you know her love for dogs & how she's quite the dramatic... 

One night after we bathed the girls we turned on the movie Santa Paws for them to enjoy before bed.  Well in one of the scenes a magic puppy turned into a stuffed animal & was thrown into the trash. The trash eventually ended up in fire.  The scene shows the puppy slowly reaching the fire & Anelia immediately began to cry, she was seriously so concerned for the puppy & its safety.  Sage & I had to continue to reassure her that the puppy would be okay.  As the movie continued the puppy was eventually rescued in the knick of time & our sweet little princess then cried tears of joy.  To say she melted my heart in that moment is an understatement.  I nearly lost it as well because she was so sweet & innocent in that moment.... Once we took in the cuteness of it all Sage quickly expressed how he was surrounded by cry babies!  Haha, poor guy, the joys of having 3 girls in our family. 

I love my little drama princess & the funny, sweet, crazy moments we get to experience thanks to her & all of her emotions! 

Fall

Fall has officially graced Las Vegas & the air is finally chilly, the leaves on the very little amount of trees here are starting to slowly change color.  Hallelujah!

Sage plays softball on Mondays so the girls & I tagged along.  I didn't get to watch his games very much because my little gems kept me running around, per usual.  We were there for 3 hours & they ran & played practically the entire time.

When we attend the park I enjoy joining them in the fun & can often be found on the playground as well.  I'm just a big little kid ha!  Anyways, Tai learned to go down the slide by herself last night & she may have gone down 501 times, maybe 502? She tries so hard to keep up with Ane.  It's so sad how fast she's grown & how independent she is. 

Anelia is all about making friends when we go out & approaches all kids with "Hi my friend!"  Anyone that knew my Grandpa Toa, he would greet everyone in the same way.  I love that she's always so open to making friends & isn't afraid to introduce herself.

Fall is always short lived here so we're trying to enjoy the nice cool weather for as long as we can before it becomes too cold. 

So much that's been done, so little time to blog...

Busy, busy, busy...

Before Tai was born October thru March was the busiest time of the year for us.  Well, this year the madness started in September instead & it's been pretty much constant since.

We've had huge milestones be reached which include...

Tai walking

Tai 1st birthday

A trip to Disneyland

Anelia's 4th birthday

I've been doing a lot of documenting in pictures & posting via Instagram. I also love snapchat & how it allows you to save your snaps from the entire day.  I did that for our trip to Disney & it made it so convenient.  I had a bit of a video making kick that I haven't been too into lately.  I need to change that because my girls love, love, love to watch the videos I made from our trip to Hawaii.  

Let's do some updating...

Our little beauty Tai Moana turned ONE!  I feel like with each child time just flies faster & faster.  Tai is soft hearted, gentle & shy but once she's become familiar with you she has a bit of sass to her.  She loves to "sasa" Ane whenever she isn't looking.  She's the typical little sister & loves to pull Ane's hair & steal all of her toys.  She hates loud noise, yelling, anything scar or out of the ordinary.  She approaches everything with caution.  She loves to blow kisses & to dance.  As soon as she hears music, no matter the genre, she's on her feet & swinging back & forth.  Since learning to walk she's been on the go constantly.  She gets into everything & loves getting into trouble.  When out & about she is either right on my hip or running around creating madness depending on the setting.  Some of the words she's saying are: hi, bye, uma (kiss), Ziggy (our dogs name), Dada, Daddy, & the word she says constantly is sasa, which means slap in Samoan.  It's pretty priceless.  She loves to yell it at Ane all day every day.  She 's been the perfect little addition to our family- we're so thankful for her & the happiness she's brought into our lives! 

We decided to take our girls to Disneyland for a late birthday gift for Tai & an early gift for Anelia.  They both love all things Disney so as expected, our trip was a true success!  Some of the highlights of our day was:

Anelia riding the Tower of Terror

Our fast passes on Radiator Springs  Racers

Our lunch at Blue Bayou

Enjoying one parade in DCA & two in Disneyland

The firework show for the 60th anniversary was truly amazing & something I'll never forget... 

A little side story... People wait HOURS in advance for good seats for the Paint the Night parade & fireworks.  Sage & I waited an hour in advance & ended up standing in a crowded area surrounded by people.  Sage & Ane went to get some delicious corn dogs for us all to enjoy while Tai & I waited in our spot.  He came back & by this time Tai was exhausted, it was humid & needless to say, we were ready for the day to be over. Tai continued to fuss even after eating... Then a lovely lady who was standing next to us turned to Tai & began talking to her, being sweet & trying to soothe her.  Her small gesture went a long way & is a moment I'll never forget.  She was so kind & gracious.  After talking to them I found out that they were visiting from Sandy, Utah... Right by my hometown.  I also found out that their daughter attended Granger High with my sister & cousin, such a small world! 

Anyways, we had such a blast at Disneyland!  We hope to take the girls to experience Disney World when they're older & can fully enjoy the magic.

This little gem is now FOUR!  It's seems so surreal that I'm the mom of a 4 year old, craziness!  Anelia is our little unique soul.  She's full of surprises & as I've mentioned before, she's our sour patch kid.  She's also like a box of chocolates, "you never know what you're gonna get..." One moment she's the sweetest thing in all the land.  She's helpful, gives hugs, helps with her sister, randomly tells you she loves you & the next minute... She's the compete & total opposite.  One thing that is for certain, Anelia is hilarious. She's a total comedian & enjoys making people laugh.  She's also at the age where she loves to socialize & enjoys being in new settings with lots of littles her age.  I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed us with her as our oldest. She's really quite helpful & becoming more & more independent each day. 

I think I covered it?  & if I didn't then it must not have been that important anyways... 

Xoxo.

Have Courage & Be Kind

I took on taking my girls to church today. Taking them alone is not an easy task however, I know that as they grow, the importance of His presence in their lives is so important.  I decided to have courage & just go & trust that all would be well. 

I've been having the urge to attend church for quite sometime & told myself that I HAD to go this Sunday, no excuses.  So this morning I knelt in prayer asking our Father in Heaven to grant me patience, that my girls would cooperate & behave, & that we'd get to church on time.

Well, my prayers were answered & we not only made it to church on time we were 15 minutes early!  Truly a miracle in itself because anyone that knows me, knows that I'm late to everything.  We were not only early, my girls behaved for the most part & I was able to enjoy almost the entire meeting except the closing prayer because Tai was extremely tired thanks to daylight savings. 

Not only did we get to enjoy sacrament but Ane went to sunbeams for the first time.  Yes, it was her first time unfortunately, I've been extremely inactive because as I stated before, attending church alone isn't easy, at all.  When I took Anelia to primary I was unsure on which class she belonged so I approached a lady at the door.  When I asked this lady for direction she seemed irritated with me & as if helping me was an inconvenience.  I tried to not let her behavior rub me in the wrong way & continued to figure things out by asking someone else for help.  Unfortunately, that lady's behavior towards me continued to bother me & sort of "consumed" my mind.  Here I was, having an incredibly successful Sabbath & this one person's negativity had put a damper on things.  As time went by, I was reminded that her negativity was nothing in comparison to all the good I had experienced today. 

That lady's behavior was a reminder to myself to always be kind.  You never know a person's story, you never know how your attitude towards them will effect their day.  I could have taken that negativity had it turn my day around & make me want to never come back. But I didn't.  Always have courage & be kind. 

Anyways, Ane enjoyed primary & sang & participated like the little gem that she is. She was so upset when it was time to go home & that was so heart warming for me to witness.

I'm thankful for the Gospel & how when I attend church I hear exactly what I need to.  The Lord truly knows us & our struggles & I was reminded of this today. Just in the short time that we've been home I feel a difference in my mood & see how attending church affects me in a positive way. 

"When it feels right, it's right."

Happy Halloween

Growing up I have vivid memories of carving pumpkins with my family.  I remember one year at our house in Kearns which was around '95-'97.  My mom had bought us all pumpkins but I ended up sharing with my brother.  I remember John pulling out all of the pumpkin's guts & allowing me to play with them while he neatly carved our pumpkin.  

Another year, I remember my sister Tina & I carving them at our house in South Jordan.  She willingly helped me when I needed assistance throughout the whole process.  I also remember the excitement on my mom's face when we'd place them on the porch with candles. We'd turn out the lights & they'd glow showing off all of our hard work.  These are memories I'm thankful to remember & traditions I want my girls to experience. 

My mother-in-law kindly bought us a pumpkin to carve this year.  I took on the challenge & though it was short lived, I'm thankful for the laughs Anelia & I shared.  She's grown into quite the comedian & entertainer.  Because I enjoyed playing with pumpkin guts growing up, I assumed she would be the same.  Unfortunately, I was wrong & she wanted nothing to do with them.  She referred to them as "slime" & "isgusting" aka disgusting.  While I continued to carve Tai continued to get into mischief as most one year olds do.  It was getting pretty late & they both were pretty uninterested in my "soon to be" Minnie Mouse pumpkin so I decided to cut the carving short & get them to bed. 

I got to finish the pumpkin in silence & it was actually really nice.  Any mom can agree that any quiet time is amazing & appreciated.  I was definitely proud of the outcome of my pumpkin.  Though I did carve them many times as a kid, I honestly think it's been more than 10 years since I've carved one.  I'm thankful for the time shared with my girls & the reminiscing I did throughout the process. 

The holidays are a time I love & enjoy but I also find myself missing my immediate family so much & can't help but wish my girls were in Utah enjoying the holidays with all of their cousins.  I'm grateful for the traditions we're creating for them.  I hope that as they grown they'll take these memories & reminsce when they're my age on the fun they had growing up. The holidays have just begun & I look forward to all the fun that is ahead! 

 

Daddy's Girl

I've always been a Daddy's girl.  Growing up he truly spoiled me rotten... I was a brat & got more than I deserved.  But regardless, I'm so blessed to have the dad I do.  He's always been one to lecture me & as I grow, I truly take his advice to heart & try to apply it to my life.

Being away from my parents has never been easy but my dad's random calls full of sweet words & advice make things a bit easier.  Last night (11/2) he called & had expressed how proud he is of Sage & I and all that we've done for ourselves throughout the years.  He's always been my biggest supporter & truly believed in me.  

He then brought up us needing to have a son & how we need to pray for a son because our boys will be huge athletes lol!  He's a dreamer!  I won't lie, I pray that we have a son.  I want a momma's boy and with the height Sage & I both have, our son would be huge!  Also, Sage is the only boy in his family to carry the Nua last name & I want to continue his family name.  God only knows what our family will consist of & as time goes by with my girls, I can't say I wouldn't mind having more girls. Who doesn't love cute bows & bright colors? We'll see.

Anyways, I'm thankful for my dad & how he always reaches out to me when I need him most.  I don't know what it is but on some of my worst days he randomly calls me & makes my day so much brighter with his contagious happiness & jokes.

I figured since this post is all about my dad I should share a picture of him. One of my friends ran into him at the gym & snapped me this photo.  It explains him perfectly, he lives for fitness, he's always rocking a huge smile & everyone at the gym knows who he is. Sure love this old man! 

Unpacking...

The worst part of a vacation is unpacking.  Reality sets back in & while sorting through clothes you're reminded of what you were doing the last time you wore them.  My suitcase still smells of the fresh Hawaiian air and ocean.  I wish so badly to be back in Hawaii with my little family.  Sage & I discussed our next trip & I'm truly hoping all goes as discussed.  We'll see, it's now the busiest time of the year for us. 

Tai Moana will be ONE on the 20th 

Anelia will be FOUR next month on the 26th 

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

New Years

My birthday

Valentine's Day

Sage's birthday

Then things slow down a bit before summer. It's non stop from here for us so I'm thankful that we could squeeze in a nice vacation before all of the madness. 

We're slowly but surely getting closer to the home searching process. I'm so anxious to get things going & finding where we'll officially call home for years to come.  With school starting its really hitting me that Anelia will be in school next year.  And I've come to realize wherever we choose to live, will of course determine what school she goes to... Unless we chose a different charter school, academy, etc.  I just want what's best for her.  

I had the urge to blog after finishing unpacking my suitcase and just writing.  Letting some of the chaos inside my head out.  We have a lot to look forward to and plan.  Tai's birthday is so close and we're at a loss as to what we want to do... Throw a party or continue with the Disneyland tradition we've got going on?  We'll figure it out, we always do.  However, hopefully it's sooner rather than later.

Now I'm just rambling, goooodnight!

Aloha

What’s a vacation without my detailed blog posts?  This vacation I did a little bit more video documenting and am happy to share that I started a YouTube channel.  I wouldn’t call it a vlog because I don’t know if I’m really about that life yet.  I just know that Anelia loves watching vlogs of other random children so why not let her view our families memories?  It’s also a great way to document.  One of my most favorite things to watch are old family videos.  I figure my girls will enjoy watching their YouTube videos one day.  Besides, nowadays not everyone likes to read a boring blog.  So if you’re interested in watching our vacation.  Head over to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3H4JOPAzbEvkdGaZ1Q1hg

 

I currently only have a few videos up but will slowly upload the other day's events. I’m not professional vlogger, I didn’t cover everything we did.  I still try to enjoy and live in the moment without doing too much picture and video taking so my blog covers all the things I didn’t record or capture.

 

Hawaii was amazing, relaxing, incredible, much needed, etc.  I'm missing it all so much already.  Who am I kidding?  I was missing it before we even left.  I love Hawaii and if it didn't cost an arm and a leg to live there, I would, in a heartbeat.  I love that there is always something to do with your family.  There's always something to see.  That's not the case here in Vegas, at all. 

 

Preparing for our trip was hectic and overwhelming but it was all so worth it.  On our way to the airport Anelia kept saying how excited she was to go to the beach.  Which is funny considering the last time we visited Aulani she wanted nothing to do with the water.  When we’d ask her about riding on an airplane she’d get quiet and say she was scared.  She’s such a gem.  We took a red eye flight on Monday night and I was so anxious for the flight.  Tai is unpredictable when it comes to sleep so I was literally dreading the thought of her not doing well and waking up the entire plane.  Just like always, I over worried and both of the girls slept the entire flight.  I was so thankful! 

 We arrived in Hawaii around 6:00 a.m. and the humidity was ridiculous.  Coming from Vegas where there is dry heat, the humidity was definitely something new to us all.  Aside from that, the weather was perfect.  Sage's family always talked about how good Boots & Kimo’s is so I was excited to give it a try.  With us arriving so early we were able to beat the crowds and give their amazing macadamia nut pancakes a try.  It was so yummy!  If you ever find yourself in Hawaii, put Boots and Kimo's on your "Must Eat" list. 

 

 After breakfast we wandered the island a bit then made our way to Disney's Aulani Resort.  I can't even put into words how truly spectacular Aulani is.  I feel like all families with children should at least experience Aulani once in their lifetime.  Yes, it is expensive, which is typical for Disney... However, every penny spent was well worth the memories that we made.  The amount of amenities and activities that they offer are unreal and each is so unique and fun.  We definitely will be making Aulani a must when we visit Hawaii again.  Hopefully that is sooner rather than later.  

 

 

Upon arrival we were greeted by one of the cast members and were "Lei'd."  I was given an orchid lei and Sage was given a kukui nut lei.  They even gave both of the girls cute little menehune necklaces.  Aulani truly makes you feel like a VIP as soon as you step foot on their property.  We checked into our room which happened to have a gorgeous ocean view and was on the top floor.  

 

After settling in, we went swimming in the lagoon for a bit.  Then took the girls to the splash pad area and ate some lunch.  Later, we got showered and ready for dinner.  We walked across the street to a nearby Mexican restaurant.  I know, who eats Mexican food while in Hawaii?  We do.  We eat Polynesian food year around lol. 

 

 

 After dinner we realized it was sunset and I really didn’t want to miss it.  I've never been able to witness in person the sun setting on the ocean so we hurried to the lagoon in hopes to catch it.  When we initially got to the lagoon the sun was further west and I thought we had missed it.  After a bit of searching though, we found it on the other side of a nearby hotel that was under construction.  I'm a sucker for sunsets but experiencing a sunset on the beach with my little family was something I will never forget.  After watching the sunset we went back to the lagoon and decided to take a few more pictures and just relax.  That's the beauty of Hawaii, just relaxing and sitting back is fun. 

I decided to get a little creative and placed our selfie stick in the sand to hold our camera for us while we took some family pictures.  A small wave came and down went the selfie stick that was holding my phone!  Luckily, I don't know how... but my phone survived the water and sand and I was able to capture our incredible trip.  Thank goodness! … If you watch our videos this is recorded.

 Our second day at Aulani we got up early in hopes to get into the Character Breakfast.  Both of our girls love all of the Disney characters so we wanted to give it a try.  Unfortunately, all reservations were booked and the soonest available was over an hour wait.  We decided to have breakfast at 'Ama'Ama's which was right off of the beach.  We all loved it, the food was delicious and the view was priceless.

 

 

After breakfast we decided to take advantage of the amenities and let Anelia have some independent fun at Aunty's Beach House.  Sage and I have never left Anelia with anyone other than family.  We're extremely attached to our girls so leaving her there was a challenge but also something we knew she'd love and enjoy.  The amount of activities they have available at Aunty's are limitless.  When checking in they give your child a bracelet to track their whereabouts.  As they were putting on her bracelet she was so excited and I had an emotional mommy moment and fought myself to hold back tears.  If you haven't noticed already, I'm extremely emotional and sentimental.  The smallest things set me off, especially when it comes to Sage or my girls.  We checked her in and as soon as we entered the play area she took off without even wanting to say "see you later" to Sage or I.  I was like "Uh, hello!  Give me a kiss!"  She gave us both kisses and said bye and went on her way.  We both walked out with tears in our eyes, dramatic! Sage's mom chuckled and told the staff we were very new to this lol!  Our Tai Moana wasn't old enough to join Anelia so her little chunky-self kept us company. 

We visited the gift shops and then made our way to the lagoon.  Sage and I have always wanted to try paddle boarding so we decided to rent two boards and give it a try.  I'm so thrilled to say I was so much better at it than him.  He's always so good and beats me in practically everything.  For the first time ever, I was the better one and I milked it like crazy!  Sage lost his paddle, couldn't stand more than a minute or two... It was exhilarating for me to witness and it's something I will rub in his face for the rest of our lives.  I loved paddle boarding.  It was so peaceful being out on the ocean.  I wish I was able to do it more often.  It's not only a great little workout but it's so much fun!  If I had to choose paddle boarding or snowboarding, paddle boarding is definitely my new favorite.

After checking our boards back in we decided after nearly two and half hours that it was time to get Ane.  When I picked her up she ran to me in excitement wearing a cute little princess dress and screamed "Mommy!  You found me!"  She then said "Mommy, I was crying... you left me."  As much as it broke my heart she cried, I was so happy that she was excited to see us and come enjoy the rest of the day with us.  Aunty's Beach House is extremely convenient and hopefully next time Tai will be old enough to join her sister next time we visit. 

We enjoyed lunch next to the pool.  Anelia wanted to go down to the Lagoon so she and Sage did that.  Heavenly and I lounged by the pool as Tai napped in the stroller.  It was raining on and off throughout the day and pools were closed for a bit due to lightning.  The rain was warm and it was still so relaxing.  After the pools reopened Anelia swam while Sage and I went and gave the slides a try.  We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool with the girls and as the rain picked up we decided to call the day quits. We were so sad to leave Aulani but I was actually a bit glad we didn't stay there for our entire trip because we would have never left and missed out on the rest of the island.   

Our third day was spent mostly at the beach.  We got the girls up and ate breakfast at McDonald's.  Unless you've had Hawaii's McDonald's breakfast then you wouldn't understand.  Their breakfast is so different from the mainland.  One thing they had that I enjoyed throughout the rest of our trip was their taro pies.  Instead of the typical apple pies they had taro pies.  Just the thought of them if making me want to jump on a plane to get just one... mmm.  *sigh*  Before heading to the beach we had to stop by and pay our respects to Sage's grandparents and loved ones.  See my previous blog post on more of that.  We then went to Kailua beach and Sage & Ane swam while Tai & I enjoyed some yummy poke and musubis in the shade on the beach. 

 

 

The main reason we had even booked our trip was because the football team Sage's dad, Nua, coaches was scheduled to play Saint Louis a team in Hawaii.  After the beach we got showered and met up with Nua and the team at their hotel.  We spent the rest of our evening there then headed back to Hawaii Kai where we stayed for the rest of our trip.  Sage's uncle lives in a gorgeous home in Hawaii Kai with a pool, boat and access to the ocean.  We were so thankful to spend the rest of our trip there. 

The fourth day was probably my favorite day because we got to see so much of the island.  We first stopped by the grocery store and I was so thrilled to find that their bakery sold Butter Mochi.  If you haven’t had butter mochi, find some!  It’s so yummy and luckily, my mother-in-law knows how to make it and is going to teach me.  Anyways, enough of food… Some of our stops included Giovanni's shrimp truck, Matsumoto's shave ice, and our favorite beach, Lanikai.  When Sage lived in Hawaii we visited Lanikai often. It was so nice to come back with our girls. 

We then met up with some of the football coaches and players at Kaiona beach.  They had a large paddle boat and were taking that out.  It was dinner time so we packed the girls up, got ready, and enjoyed dinner at Kim Chee's.  Sage used to eat here as kid so it was a little trip down memory lane for him.  The customer service they have in Hawaii is sometimes hit or miss but at Kim Chee's they were so sweet to our girls.  Our waitress offered to show them their large fish tank and carried them over after .  Upon our decent they gave Ane a packed of bubbles.  Their small gestures of kindness really stuck with me.  

 

 

 

 

 

Our last full day there was game day!  We first started it by going to watch Sage's cousin, Shayla's high school volleyball game.  She's a beast and is extremely talented.  Watching her and her team made me so excited for when our girls begin to play sports.  I pray that they grow to love athletics the same way Sage and I did growing up.  Keeping my fingers crossed!

Later we met up with Sage's brother and hit up the wonderful swamp meet.  The humidity level was nearly at 100% our entire trip so the swamp meet was fun but extremely hot and the girls didn't like it at all.  We headed home, got showered and ready and it was game time.  The outcome of the game wasn't what we had hoped for... at all.  However, the whole experience was amusing to witness.  Win or lose, I'm sure those boys will remember this trip for the rest of their lives.  While at the game we ran into so much family.  I saw a few of my second cousins and their kids.  Sage's first cousins were all there and after the game we all went to Zippy's and enjoyed dinner together.  Our kids are around the same age as Sage's cousin, Rory's kids so Ane had so much fun with them all.  I love Sage's family and appreciate the good conversation and company when they’re around.

Our last and final day there we were pretty worn out and didn't do anything.  We spent most of our morning sleeping then the rest of our afternoon we packed and then headed to the airport.  We were fortunate enough to get six seats altogether on our flight home.  Anelia did great on the flight but Tai was a different story.  She wasn't terrible but she got bored and fussed most of the time.  I was so afraid of how she would do on a red eye and now I know to book her for those flights from now on so she can just sleep throughout the flight.  

 

I'm so thankful that we got to experience this trip.  It was much needed and in Sage's case, it was very much deserved.  He works incredibly hard to provide the girls and I with the best and he went above and beyond in doing that for us this trip.  I'm grateful for him for all that he does and all that he is.  I have to admit, we make a great team and we strive to work together to give our girls adventures full of memories that they may treasure forever.

Aloha,

 

Ang