I am so bad about blogging for so many reasons but lately it's because our internet here in VA stinks big time and I never get on the computer any more. We've been here almost one month. I guess I should give a run down of everything that happened since we were super busy.
- Mum & Dad came from VA to Hawaii for Filipo's grad
-Filipo graduated finally
-We moved out of TVA & into Turtle Bay [[thanks heaps to mum & dad for helping with all the cleaning!!]]
-We went swimming constantly
-Spent basically a whole week all day, every day packing our shipping crate for Tonga....irrits...but another story for another time
-Spent heaps of time with Filipo's famz before they went back to Tonga
-Packed our stuff & left Hawaii
-Settled into our new home & Finau getting so spoiled by Mum & Dad
-Had a little family reunion with my favorite Aunt & Uncle and Cuzzie from Palmyra, NY / Aunt & Cuzzies from F'burg
-Celebrated the OLD, OLD, OLD Man's (FILIPO) Birthday
-Spent the last three weeks looking for jobs and not finding anything so spending heaps of time at the movies, library, mall, and every other place in Stafford.....man i hate the boonies.....
-Oh yeah Filipo spent last weekend camping in -15 degree weather with my dad and all his scouts from the ward hahahahaha.....
Heaps of changes and I just can't wait to get our stuff over with in Tonga so we can come back already. Love being with family and friends and even the stinky missionaries in the basement but let's hope we get jobs soon so we can start saving the money and move on to bigger and better things.
Our internet is taking ages so no photos but I'll get on that later in the week...fa laiaaa
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday, November 29, 2010
big changes
Well the surprise we got on Thanksgiving was my dad giving us an early Christmas present by telling us he was going to pay for our tickets to fly to Virginia. That was so much stress for us because we wanted to move to F'burg to save money on rent but we didn't have a way to get there so we were just going to stay in Hawaii for six months until Filipo works out his green card stuff. Now we're heading to the cold and snow and I'm super happy about it because Finau gets to spend time with his grandparents and we get to save some more money before we move over to Tonga.
An old picture of home but still miss it....
I think it will be good but at the same time I know Filipo's going to miss Hawaii and all of the Poly's around here. He's gonna be one of the only ones but oh well....So big changes ahead but looking forward to whatever comes our way.
An old picture of home but still miss it....I think it will be good but at the same time I know Filipo's going to miss Hawaii and all of the Poly's around here. He's gonna be one of the only ones but oh well....So big changes ahead but looking forward to whatever comes our way.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
thanksgiving & black friday
We were supposed to get a pig for Thanksgiving but they went up $100 from when the boys went and first asked about it so the night before Filipo decided we were gonna go get all this food to cook. We woke up on Thanksgiving and I attempted to cook the food. Even though Filipo never likes to admit it I'm a pretty good cook but I've never cooked Thanksgiving food before so it was very interesting. About 1/2 hour before the food was finished my next door neighbor brought over 5 pans of food. I think she knew I didn't know how to cook all that food and felt sorry for us. She's a bomb cook though. We sat down to eat and even I ended up just eating her food. It was so good. She always makes the best food. Anyway we had a nice feed and then spent the afternoon sleeping and playing card games. We also got a nice surprise when we were talking to my parents but that's another post altogether....
On Black Friday we were going to wake up early to go to the store but I never set the alarm so we didn't even leave until 7:00 a.m. which for most people is too late to get anything. The only reason we went is because this summer Filipo's laptop he got last Christmas broke and so Best Buy gave him a gift card refund with $750 on it. We went to Best Buy looking for a new video camera and nothing else really but we ended up spending forever there trying to decide which one to buy. We ended up getting a few things but we still didn't spend all the money. Anyway it was a good day but poor Finau was so tired so as soon as we got to the car he knocked out all the way home.
On Black Friday we were going to wake up early to go to the store but I never set the alarm so we didn't even leave until 7:00 a.m. which for most people is too late to get anything. The only reason we went is because this summer Filipo's laptop he got last Christmas broke and so Best Buy gave him a gift card refund with $750 on it. We went to Best Buy looking for a new video camera and nothing else really but we ended up spending forever there trying to decide which one to buy. We ended up getting a few things but we still didn't spend all the money. Anyway it was a good day but poor Finau was so tired so as soon as we got to the car he knocked out all the way home.
finau [lahi's] birthday
Finau Leka waiting to blow out the candles
All that hard work and nobody even realised this said "Finau"Saturday, November 20, 2010
lately
A few weeks ago our friends invited us over for dinner. They are seriously one of the nicest family I've met ever here at BYU-Hawaii and they are so humble. They're both from Fiji and they just had a little boy that's almost five months old. Finau was really sick but he loved playing with the baby.
The following week we had to go to town to get Finau's teeth checked out so the picture was of him playing at the Dentist office. The building where the dentist office is located was so shady looking and I was really scared to go in but inside it's super nice and the dentist is really friendly and helpful. They even have all these play stations for the kids and a movie playing all the time. He finally went back this week to get his teeth fixed so he has his caps on. He was such a trooper while they put them on and he's finally getting over being sick from the operation and all the medicines he had to take.
A couple weeks back when he was originially suppose to get the operation he hadn't eaten anything for a while since he was sick and we didn't have any food so we ran to macca's and got some burgers and Finau was just finishing them all off even though we bought him the chicken nuggets. He still ate his nuggets and 1 1/2 burgers. He cracks me up sometimes.
On Sunday we finally put Finau in his taovala from Aunty Pina. I was surprised he kept it on so long. The only reason it finally came off was because he was so active in nursery that I went to tighten it and just decided to take it off him.
This picture was taken a couple nights ago. I was trying to get one of his teeth but he didn't want to open his mouth because he was exhausted and still in pain. He still has a little bit of his chubby cheeks but he is loosing all his baby fat. When he was nine months he wore 2+ age clothing. Now he's back into wearing all those 2 year old clothes. He's getting skinnier by the second. The plus side is at least we won't have to buy him clothes for the next 4 or 5 years since we usually buy everything larger for him so now he can use it for a while.
None of the pictures are the best but that's as good as it gets with a cell phone camera and an active little man. I'll try and put up more pics this week because tomorrow is the Laie Hawaii Temple Re-dedication and I am so looking forward to it and going inside for the first time since it re-opens! I watched some of the "cultural celebration" on t.v. and I hate to say it but I thought it was so very, very boring. For the hour and a half I watched they only did Hawaiian/Asian dances and so I didn't really enjoy it. I thought the Tongan Temple celebration a couple years back was much better. Anyway I'm still excited and can't wait to go to the dedication tomorrow!
The following week we had to go to town to get Finau's teeth checked out so the picture was of him playing at the Dentist office. The building where the dentist office is located was so shady looking and I was really scared to go in but inside it's super nice and the dentist is really friendly and helpful. They even have all these play stations for the kids and a movie playing all the time. He finally went back this week to get his teeth fixed so he has his caps on. He was such a trooper while they put them on and he's finally getting over being sick from the operation and all the medicines he had to take.
A couple weeks back when he was originially suppose to get the operation he hadn't eaten anything for a while since he was sick and we didn't have any food so we ran to macca's and got some burgers and Finau was just finishing them all off even though we bought him the chicken nuggets. He still ate his nuggets and 1 1/2 burgers. He cracks me up sometimes.
On Sunday we finally put Finau in his taovala from Aunty Pina. I was surprised he kept it on so long. The only reason it finally came off was because he was so active in nursery that I went to tighten it and just decided to take it off him.
This picture was taken a couple nights ago. I was trying to get one of his teeth but he didn't want to open his mouth because he was exhausted and still in pain. He still has a little bit of his chubby cheeks but he is loosing all his baby fat. When he was nine months he wore 2+ age clothing. Now he's back into wearing all those 2 year old clothes. He's getting skinnier by the second. The plus side is at least we won't have to buy him clothes for the next 4 or 5 years since we usually buy everything larger for him so now he can use it for a while.
None of the pictures are the best but that's as good as it gets with a cell phone camera and an active little man. I'll try and put up more pics this week because tomorrow is the Laie Hawaii Temple Re-dedication and I am so looking forward to it and going inside for the first time since it re-opens! I watched some of the "cultural celebration" on t.v. and I hate to say it but I thought it was so very, very boring. For the hour and a half I watched they only did Hawaiian/Asian dances and so I didn't really enjoy it. I thought the Tongan Temple celebration a couple years back was much better. Anyway I'm still excited and can't wait to go to the dedication tomorrow!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
famili
Well no pictures but some exciting news for Filipo. His parents and oldest sister arrived in Hawaii last Saturday and he is loving it. A little too much if you ask me because he's been trying to entertain them like crazy and got really sick and missed two of his classes. The little man was also sick with a bronchitis infection for two weeks but now he's better. Since he's better he goes in for his operation this week. He's getting four caps on his teeth....poor kid...that's what he gets for having a mum and dad that would rather give him a bottle of juice than spend 30 minutes rocking him back to sleep. Thankfully he has the best grandparents and they have so graciously offered to pay for his white caps so he doesn't have to go with the silver ones for the next 7 years!
Finally we've got Finau back to sleeping in his own bed every night and since he's been doing that he's been sleeping through the night. He's back to drinking only water but we're still working on getting him out of diapers. Lets hope that comes soon because I am not paying for the super expensive ones in Tonga. He can run around naked when we get there for all I care.
On a side note my baby nephew Manukia is in the hospital in Tonga. You know it's serious when the family calls you from Tonga. My sister-in-law said he's fatter than Finau was at six months and he has severe asthma. The doctor's say they don't think he's gonna live much longer so we've spent the past few days thinking a lot about him and praying that everything works out. It made me so grateful to be living in the U.S. where Finau's insurance covers all of his medical expenses and many, many, many hospital visits and his medicine and for his own machine that he can use at home. That's definitely something I'm going to miss when we go to Tonga. Since my visiting teachers came over and encouraged me to express all my thanks I think that's what I'm most grateful for right now especially with everything happening with baby Manukia. I'm grateful that Finau's taken care of and we don't have to worry like Paita does. I can't even imagine going through what they are especially since they already lost one son. Just remember to take some time out to give thanks for what you have cos you never know when it's gonna get taken away.
countdown: HALLELUJAH finally leaving TVA on December 20!!
December 17 - Filipo's graduation [after being on the 10 year plan]
December 24 - Flying with Nau to New Zealand....woohooo vacay!!
Finally we've got Finau back to sleeping in his own bed every night and since he's been doing that he's been sleeping through the night. He's back to drinking only water but we're still working on getting him out of diapers. Lets hope that comes soon because I am not paying for the super expensive ones in Tonga. He can run around naked when we get there for all I care.
On a side note my baby nephew Manukia is in the hospital in Tonga. You know it's serious when the family calls you from Tonga. My sister-in-law said he's fatter than Finau was at six months and he has severe asthma. The doctor's say they don't think he's gonna live much longer so we've spent the past few days thinking a lot about him and praying that everything works out. It made me so grateful to be living in the U.S. where Finau's insurance covers all of his medical expenses and many, many, many hospital visits and his medicine and for his own machine that he can use at home. That's definitely something I'm going to miss when we go to Tonga. Since my visiting teachers came over and encouraged me to express all my thanks I think that's what I'm most grateful for right now especially with everything happening with baby Manukia. I'm grateful that Finau's taken care of and we don't have to worry like Paita does. I can't even imagine going through what they are especially since they already lost one son. Just remember to take some time out to give thanks for what you have cos you never know when it's gonna get taken away.
countdown: HALLELUJAH finally leaving TVA on December 20!!
December 17 - Filipo's graduation [after being on the 10 year plan]
December 24 - Flying with Nau to New Zealand....woohooo vacay!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
birthday boy
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FINAU JR!!
This is the most ridiculous dinosaur I've ever seen but everybody loved the cake...it was chocolate and vanilla cheesecake something....
This photo was actually taken in Pangaimotu when we visited Tonga and totally has nothing to do with this post but I forgot to include it with the last one. If you're tongan than you know that's Tinitini and that would be enough but since most of my family reading this isn't tongan....let's just say he's the funniest guy in all of Tonga and every single Tongan in the whole world knows him.....so naturally we had to get a picture with his brand new bus and plus Finau is wearing his Liahona shirt that the Tonga kids gave him...Man our little man is not so little anymore. Every day I look at him and I realize how big he's getting and how sooner than we think he's gonna be off on his mission, getting married, and having his own kids. It really makes you treasure every moment you have with them and according to the doctor at Finau's current growth rate he's gonna be 6'8 by the time he's 18....must be from his real dad's side hahaha....kidding!! Everyone else wants him to be a rugby star or a football player for byu (seriously when we were at our family beach house one of our family friends every five seconds kept telling everyone they had to protect the future all star since he's gonna be the money maker in the future...it was funny at first but they said it ALL THE TIME) but my dad and I decided we're training him to be a future YANKEE! He loves baseball and plays every day so we're off to a good start.
This picture is of Lina and Finau. She's the daughter of Filipo's bishop from his home ward in Tonga and now they're going to school here at BYU-H....and Filipo loves it.Onto the whole point of this post....Finau turned 2 on October 2nd! I told Lipo we weren't gonna do a big feed just a small cake and ice cream with us and one of our cousins but of course they had other plans. Filipo's cousins spent the afternoon cooking all of these different foods and I kept thinking it was too much but within three hours all 10 foil pans of food were gone. Never underestimate the tongan boys when they eat. Good thing they came over or else I probably would've thrown the leftovers out. We just had a cake from costco and since I don't have a camera these are the pictures that our friend took of Finau and his cake.
Manuia lou aso fanau to the main man in our life....love you long time finau leka
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