Happy Birthday Tika!

Tika was born on December 15, 1984. His parents were taking a short trip to American Samoa when Tika decided to come 6 weeks early. Tika was a health happy 5lb 13oz baby boy. His parents were able to fly him back to Fiji when he was just 1 day old. His birth certificate actually says "Please take this for a real birth certificate" (Yeah it's been fun whenever we have to turn it in for something). Tika only lived in Fiji until he was 2 years old when his family moved to Utah. He lived in Salt Lake from 2-6 years old. His family then made the big move to Guam. While in Guam Tika lived a very simple life, at one point they were without electricity for 2 week due to a typhoon that hit the island. When he was 11 he moved back to Utah. Tika played Varsity basketball team all 4 years of high school, he also earned his Eagle Scout. Tika got his associates while attending Salt Lake Community College on a Basketball Scholarship. We then made the big move back to Orem where Tika played 1 year at UVSC and got his bachelors in Community Health. We then moved to Wyoming were Tika sold cars but was away from his family too much so we decided it best to yet again make the move back to Orem. Tika has been looking for a job for the last 3 months and is happy to announce that he was offered a job with Enterprise Rent a Car in the management training program. Hopefully in about a year he will be promoted to assistant manager and from there the sky is the limit. In October Enterprise was included in the top 50 places to launch a career so we are very excited about this opportunity. All of these experiences have helped Tika become the man he is today. He is a wonderful father and husband. I have been able to celebrate 7 birthdays with Tika so far and I look forward to many more! Happy Birthday and I LOVE YOU!

Tika with his best friend Tevita at his wedding.
Our trip to Cancun in April.

Our wedding.
Our honeymoon in Cancun, Tika would pick the coconuts on the tree and husk them in our room.Hawaii at Motsomoto, Tika made us get a shaved ice just about every day!

Last week in Hawaii; finally, home sweet home

Our last week in Hawaii we stayed at Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club Resort on the west side of Oahu. Our room was awesome, and the resort was amazing. They had these really nice lagoons where there were no waves so it was perfect for the kids. Kelly and Kai loved the ocean water. If we weren't on the beach, then we were at the pool. They had a basketball hoop and volleyball net inside the pool so Tika, Kami, Juli, and Curt were able to have a good game of two on two bball. On Monday we took my family to the north shore and had a lot of fun. We started by going to world famous Matsumoto Shaved Ice, next stopped at shark's cove where we enjoyed some amazing snorkeling. We saw a turtle, a couple of eels, an octopus, and quite a few schools of colorful fish. We finished our day at the Polynesian Cultural Center after eating a feast at Tika's parents house. On Friday we had to check out of the hotel so my family left and Tika and I went back to his parents house for the last two days of our three week vacation. On Saturday morning Susan watched the kids and me and Tika went on a really fun hike to Maunawilli Falls. It was an hour hike into the falls and it was really cool cause it felt like you were in the middle of a jungle. There were green mountains, trees, vines, and bushes everywhere you looked. Once we got to the waterfall there were about twenty other people there cliff jumping into the water hole beneath the falls. We had a fun time. Later that evening we ate the best meal of our vacation at Turtle Bay's Saturday night Alaskan King Crab/Prime Rib Seafood buffet (a dream come true for Tika). Sunday evening we caught the red eye flight home, and back to reality. The flight left at 10:30 p.m. Hawaii time, and got into SLC at 7:30 a.m. Utah time. It was a long flight but luckily Kelly fell asleep ten minutes into it and slept the whole flight. Since we only had three seats for the four of us, Kai, Tika, and myself got our own seats, and Kelly ended up sleeping on the floor just below Kai and my feet. All in all we had a great family vacation. The last few times we travelled we only brought one of our two children so it was nice to have all of us together. Big thanks to Tika's family for letting us stay with them, and Juli for providing us with the accommodations at the resort.

***BEWARE OF THE PICTURE OVERLOAD!!!***
Tika was like a kid in a candy store on this hike, he loved all the big treas greenery.



Kelly got to sleep in the bathtub at the resort, she actually loved it!
Grandpa went to China while we were there and he brought the kids back the cutest little outfits!
We were so glad we got to go to all of Tialie's volleyball games while we were in town!
Kai is so happy all the time! He really is the best baby.
A friendly game of 2 on 2?
Kelly has no fear of the water. She will just go jump in, it's kinda scary!
Thanks again for everything mom.
My little baby isn't really a little baby anymore! At his appointment this week he weighed 26lbs!

Snorkeling at Sharks Cove.The delicious Matsumoto Shave Ice.

Thanks to the Wesley's for letting us use there Van while we were there, it was a perfect fit! (Add my mom on my lap)

Week 2 in Hawaii

Well it hasn't been a week since my last post but today my whole family flies in and we go to a resort so I will be with out Internet access for the next week! I am really excited for my family to come, it will be the first trip in a long time that we will all be able here, (well minus Hallie and Mayzie). This last week has been a blast! Monday we went to the beach and went to the Haunted Lagoon again and then went to the night show at the Polynesian Cultural Center, Tika loves the fire dance! Tuesday we woke up were able to go stay at a Hotel in downtown Waikiki! I have never stayed on that part of the island so it was a ton of fun! We were able to go swimming at the hotel, walk on the beach, go to the International marketplace, and go in a few stores. Later that night we met up with Susan and went to Tialie's Semi-final Volleyball game. It was such a good game and Tialei played a ton! It was intense it went all 5 games. Wednesday we went to the swap meet and got way to MUCH stuff! We then went back to Waikiki and walked around a little more. We then raced home and got our costumes on for the ward Trunker Treating. It was bitter sweet moment, I was so excited to dress up and dress the kids up but then I was sad because we actually had costumes this year and a couple invites to Halloween parties and I have never been to one before (Except in 8Th grade). Trunker was a ton of fun and Kelly loved trick or treating! Thursday we went to Sunset beach and watched the surfers for a while then went and ate at the Polynesian Cultural center and then went to Tialei's Region Finals Volleyball game, it went 5 games again so it was good and she played awesome! Friday being today we are just packing up and getting ready to go pick up my family! Happy Halloween Everyone!!!


Kelly loved the candy!!!
They had different games set up for the kids to play in order to get candy.
About half hour after we got there Kelly started with the ear fold and Bink (she is really tired) because it was 7:30 which means 11:30 at home.
We got so tired before it was over so we had to walk home and my kids are getting to big for me so Tika had to carry them most of the way!
Peter Pan! Susan whipped this out in about an hour! She is so talented she can make anything!

Tinkerbell and Peter Pan the best shot I could get with the two of them!
I know I wont be sporting a bob anytime soon!!!
Everyone... Susan was a hippie, me a Cleopatra, peter pan, Tinkerbell, Gladiator and Pocahontas! Susan made the Pocahontas too, it looked so good.
Montel made this costume and it was so good! A big thanks to her for everything she gives us and lets us borrow!!!
Tika at Sunset beach.

Week 1 in Hawaii

Last Monday we started our 3 week vacation in Hawaii. We left for the airport at about 8:40 which was way to early because our flight didn't leave till 12:20 but I always like to be really early when I have kids with me so I can ask for an extra seat so I don't have to hold the baby the whole time. So far it's been about 50/50. Anyways I was able to get Kai his own seat and there was an extra one next to Kelly so she was able to take a nap too. Needless to say things were going way to smooth when Kai started getting really fussy and come to find out he has had a blow out! And me being the worlds greatest mom I forgot the change of clothes for the plane. So I made him a little toga out of the airplane blanket. It was so nice of Tika's parents they made us Lei's when they picked us up and Kelly looked so cute in hers. On the drive to Laie the van was smelling like the brakes were burning but Tika's dad had just got them fixed so we didn't worry about it that much until the front started smoking! We pulled over and there just happened to be a guy fixing his car and he told us he had the same van and that it needed to be towed and we should not be driving it. So poor Susan had to drive and pick us up about 45 minutes away. We finally reached our destination at about 7:00. My kids did so good! I couldn't have asked for more! Tuesday we went to Waimea Bay and Kelly was afraid of the sand for about the first 20 minutes but she loved the ocean. Kai also loved to be in the water. After the beach we went to the famous Matsumoto shaved ice, they have the best shaved ice with ice cream for way cheap! Tuesday we went to Temple beach. And we finished the day with Tialei's volleyball game she did great! Wednesday we went to Hukilau Beach. And went into town for another one of Tialei's games. Thursday we went to Temple beach again (it is across the street from there house) Friday we went to Hukilau beach and to the Haunted Lagoon at the Polynesian Culture Center. It was so good! I think it was the first haunted thing I have been to so it was really fun. There were people that would pop out of the water one of them made Tika jump so bad. Oh and don't forget we made 75 lbs of flour into dough and 25lbs of powdered sugar into frosting for Tialie's team to make into scones and sell at the football game for a fundraiser. Saturday it was really rainy all day which was a nice break from all the heat! I could never live here it is so hot and humid you always feel wet and sticky. We set the pool up in the back yard and that was really fun for Kelly and then while the kids were sleeping we went over to Pounders and Susan made Kai and Tialei there Halloween costumes. I will show you them on Halloween!
Just waiting to get on the plane. . . .
Kelly loved watching planes.I am so glad I got that extra seat for Kai!

Finally . . . She slept for about an hour and a half then we landed. Kai's cute new dress!



Kelly learning how to surf!

Pumkins, Potties and food!

We have had an eventful weekend over here! On Saturday we went to my favorite store, Provo Craft outlet. When I lived in Wyoming that was the first place I wanted to go when I came into town, I just like to walk up and down every row. Anyways they had these little decorations that I knew Tika and Kelly would have fun with. Kelly had so much fun painting them.
Then for the big news on Sunday Kelly decided it was time to use the potty. I have been needing to potty train her for a while now but I wanted to wait till things were a little more consistent in her life and we actually had our own bathroom to do it in. So anyways Sunday morning she kept saying potty potty, so I said what the heck I will start today! So I took her into the bathroom but she had already went pee in her toilet! I didn't have and "Dunders" (Which I guess is what we are calling her underwear thanks to Hallie) so I just used her diaper covers from her dresses. A couple hours later she started saying potty potty again so I went to take her in and she had already gone #2 in her potty! So far she has only peed her pants 3 times! I am very excited to only have one kid in diapers!!!


She is set on putting her Dunders on by her self!
I was giving her a treat every time she would go in the potty! The kid has had enough Carmel for a lifetime. She loves waiving bye bye when we flush the toilet!

And lastly Tika decided it is time for his boy to eat like a big kid! Up till now I am still only breastfeeding Kai and that has been plenty for him. But Tika wanted to feed him baby food today and the poor kid loved it! He would get so upset if Tika would start to walk away. Maybe, just maybe, I will let him eat it more often!