LOVE LOVE LOVE

Couple of crafty things going on around here -
I made some mail boxes for my preschool kids, (from this idea found here )
I can't wait for the kids to see them at school : )

 Then - I needed to come up with some Valentine's for the kids to give. Ava picked out Princess cards
with magnets, we added stickers and a little sign "valentine, I am stuck on you"

 We got hot wheels for Gavyn to give - Valentine I "wheelie" like you!

 Then from me - for the boys at preschool, "Valentine I think you're DINOMITE" with
a couple of dinosaurs

 and for the girls - "Valentine you have my heart" with some fun little bling heart bracelets."

Marlee will be giving pirate valentine's to her classmates. Maybe we can find some gold coins to put with them...

Happy Valentines Day!

I get by with a little help from my friends

Did you know my husbands in a band? 

A Hawaiian Band? 

no?!?!?! - well he is AND on
December 11, 7pm- HOAPILI  

will be performing at Tiki Terrace in Des Plaines, IL

and we REALLY need your support for this Special Holiday Performance!

This concert is In HONOR OF AJ Pastor - Keenan's brother-in-law who is back home

in Hawaii battiling stage 4 colon and liver cancer. In Dec. 2009 he fought off cancer - but now it is back and is taking a huge toll on him as he has new, stronger medication and chemotherapy. He is scheduled for surgery on Dec 15. 

Insurance does not cover nearly as much as it needs to so this holiday season we are hoping to reach

out to our friends, family and community to help us support AJ, Karie and their Ohana.

All donations, proceeds and good will from this concert will go to The Pastor family.

Can't make it to the concert but would still like to help out.

My sister in law Janine has set up a site where you can order

a personalized Tribe Tag go HERE to check it out.

We know that money is tight, especially  this time of the year. SO if you want to do something

for them, but can not at this time. we ask for prayers. 

PRAY.

It is free, it is simple, it comes from the heart. It is all encompassing, it is strong, it is full of hope, peace, comfort and we can do it from anywhere at any time.

Mahalo Friends!

The fabulous Miss A

She is 4! I can not believe I have a 4 year old. I look at her and wonder where my baby has gone. She is so grown up in so many ways, yet still likes me to rock her and will even let me cuddle with her once in a while.

She LOVES to dress up - she only likes dresses or skirts. She will wear tunics and leggings, jeans? cozy pants? forget it! And she will change her outfit at least three times a day. She also enjoys dress up - as in make believe clothes too. Snow White, Cinderella, Fairy princess, butterfly, nurse, veterinarian, Dora - she and Boots, Gavyn enjoy going on back pack adventures together.

She has PERSONALITY - she is so kind to others, is the life of the party, quick to be the peace maker, has THE BEST LAUGH IN THE WORLD! She is independent, smart, witty, precocious, spontaneous, sweet, out going, fun, creative, she has a love for learning and for life. She makes people SMILE!

She is a Teacher, a Leader and a Nurturer  - she is so patient with the "littles" in her life, she is fair and generous. I smile inside when she corrects me.
Me: "Ava, don't pull at it, that will make it worse."
Ava: "Er"
Me: "What? er?"
Ava: "it will make it worser mom, worser."
Me: (not wanting to correct her) "oh, yes, worse -r"
She loves to work and play with others. She is first to share, first to help out (ok not always at home...) And she is a fabulous cheer leader, encouraging others around her.

She also has a stubborn streak - she likes/loves to do things on her own, her own way.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE this crazy 4 year old!

Happy Birthday my Beautiful, Beautiful Brown eyed girl.

I asked Ava a couple of questions... here is what she had to say.

* Tell me the best thing about you : I Like my LAUGH, and I like that I am Hawaiian

*What two vegetables would you like me to NEVER serve to you again? Mushrooms and potatoes

*What is your favorite game? Spot It

*What is your favorite time of day? Friday - because of the Friday Song

*What is your favorite food? pepperoni pizza, rice and seaweed and watermelon and I LOVE          LOVE LOVE cucumbers it is my most favorite

*What is your favorite thing to drink? Orange juice and water and sometimes I like milk

*What is your favorite thing to do? play Legos and I like to watch a movie when Gavyn is sleeping but I REALLY like to play outside! 

*what is your favorite candy?  SKITTLES 

*What is your favorite stuffed animal? My Tamahana (it is a German shepherd dog) my Lamby it is my most favorite EVER and I have had it a really long time. 

*What is your favorite toy to play with? Barbies

 *If you could have a different name, what would it be? Raquel

*What is the MOST wonderful thing that has happened to you? My Birthday especially the cup cakes we ate, they were so so so so good. they were REALLY so good mommy!

*Who are your best friends? Lilia, Eli, Evy and Annie, because they are not mean and they are kind (I want to add that she did name a LOT of other friends - Lily, Addy, Charlie, Jackson, Gavyn, Marlee, Granma and Gramz - just to name a few that I can remember..)

*What is your favirite Scripture story? I like the Joseph story - I like that he read the scriptures

*What is your favorite color? my most favorite color is Purple - but I do like pink, brown, yellow, and blue and sometimes white is ok too

What is your favorite church song? I am a child of God and I love to see the temple
   *your favoirte song on the radio? Stereo Hearts or Moves like Jagger and I like the Party Rock song - you know the one that talks about shuffling?

    *your favorite song to sing? On my way home, and I like to dance hula to it too. I like dancing   Hula and singing!

*What is your favorite book? I like Pinkalicious and Silverlicious AND Lady Bug girl, don't forget that one!

*What is your favorite movie? Barbie a Fairy Secret

*What is your favorite animal? I really like fuzzy squirrels and would love to hold one 

last time I blogged

it was in August REALLY!!! WOW. (although I have blogged else where in the bloggy world) And I have updated a lot on face book. But really??? AUGUST??? Guess that brings me to what has been going on in my head - to blog or not to blog? Are blogs still in? Does anyone even READ my blog? Or blogs in general anymore? I use to not care, and did it more for my kids to look back on kind of like a virtual journal for them...but really is it worth it? Anyone out there want to weigh in?

Anyway, Kamae Ohana update.

Have you seen my google calendar? Yup, had to go google. It color coordinates all of our schedules and there is so much going on - if it is NOT on the calendar it does not happen.
SO the calendar is FULL. School, school, school, church stuff, church, work, PTA, volunteering, work, work, school, throw in a girls night, school, pre-school, piano, Hoapili, making Halloween costumes just right, house sitting, super Saturday! dog sitting, more dog sitting, baby sitting (a weekend Hula seminar where the Mr. and I actually got to have a little get-away a busy weekend but still time together). Halloween parties, Birthday's, church, singing, picture taking, piano, school, school, work work...ok, I think you get the picture.

I did actually get my Halloween decorations up just in time for Ms. Ava's birthday - true the end of the month but she woke up to a spooktacular house.

And - here it is Nov 1 and they are already down. I have chili cooking in the crock pot. The dish washer is running, I am blogging because the house is quiet and I am thinking about putting up fall decorations. I have a lot of cute ones and I don't want to put up Christmas stuff just yet. And how I wish I had time to sit and make some cards.

and now I will post pictures - because I know that is what you REALLY want  to see..

HULA/HOAPILI

 Hoapili

 Ava and her Aunty Karen

 The Mr. - chanting at the Naperville Pow Wow

Beautiful Lehua

FALL/SWIMMING IN THE LAKE (IN OCTOBER!)

 Fall pictures - the colors are SO beautiful here!

 Ms. Lehua enjoying the sand

 Little G

 Chasing away the birds

 L O V E this picture of Gavyn running after the seagull!

 Sanoe was in HEAVEN!

FAMILY PICTURES and A SURPRISE

A family-ish picture at church loved the color's we were wearing

K was working so missed out on the picture

 wait what's this?? a picture of me and the Mr??? yup our hula weekend

there are a couple pictures of us (when I wasn't hiding behind the lens)

Also SOMEwhere out there - there is a video of he and I dancing Hula

together. Yup, I danced. ; )

(rumor has it - there will be more dancing and I might actually SING

with Hoapili....)

 School pictures

Miss Marlee

Making bracelets

Miss Ava

 Coloring some pumpkins

Mr. Gavyn

 Going on Nature walks, Playing at the park and dog walking

and to wrap things up - have I mentioned our family will be in a commercial for our church

this was an amazing experience and we made some fun new friends!! Can't wait

for Keenan's I am a Mormon spotlight to be out!

Happy Fall!

End of Summer

Tomorrow Marlee starts 2nd grade! AND she is getting glasses, which she is excited about.
This summer went by too fast. But except for a couple of weeks when a few of us got sick - we enjoyed it all. I do wish we would have gone to the pool a bit more...but not so easy to do when there are big thunder, lighting and pouring down rain storms.

Today was a beautiful Sunday and we took advantage of being dressed up and sunny weather to take a couple family pictures by the lake.