F.A.M.I.L.Y.



Elsie Starr and Famani sii playing soccer

 So since the last time I actually blogged we've been up to a lot.  Mostly enjoying the time with family and friends.  We are so pleased with the choice we've made to move to Utah and be closer to our loved ones.  It has proven to be more than we'd ever imagined it could possibly be worth it.  We are loving it!  

Famani sii and Sela at the Payson Festival

Elsie and Famani sii...LOL

Enjoying the hammock at Grammy Paula's

Todd, Kalonikakala, Famani sii and Elisa @ Temple square

Maile sii and Famani sii, getting ready for a sleepover. Yipee!!

W/ Sia's boys at Stanford's football game, love seeing them together

He's overcome some fears while we've been here...jumping on the trampoline

Pumpkin patch with our niece Sela

and our dear friends the Iongi's

Absolutely LOVE being near my sisters!

My niece Sela...love her little face!

Watching Stanford's football game

Participated in his 1st Primary Program

 If there's anything that we've learned in the short two months we've lived in Utah, it is this...absolutely nothing will bring more joy to our lives than the people we love and who love us.  We are so grateful to Heavenly Father for opening every possible window and door so that we could enjoy the time we have with our family.  It has been beyond amazing.  There is no doubt in our hearts and minds that the move was exactly what our family needed to bring into focus the importance of life.  We are so thankful and our hearts and home is filled with joy. 

Update...

Alot has happened in the last 2 months.  We've moved to Bountiful, Utah into our own place and we love it.  We love being close to family and having them nearby leaves very little time for blogging.  But I would change it for the world.  There's something so fulfilling about being close to family and friends.  Living life everyday with the ones you love instead of hearing about it from a distance.  I think Famani si'i has enjoyed the move most of all having his cousins close by and his grandparents on both sides close.  Our lives right now feel so rich and full of LIFE.  We are loving every second of it.  Once I get a chance to upload pics to our computer, you will be able to see the pictures.  In the meantime...just know, we are doing great and loving life and living it to the fullest.  :)

Happy 4th Birthday...

Happy 4th Birthday Famani si'i

Our sweet little boy turned 4 today.

We can hardly believe it.

He slept with us last night and we shared with him

about the day he was born.

His birthday will always remind us of what a joy and blessing he is. 

This year he was VERY aware that it was a special day just for him.

So we had a little dinner with my brother and his family

and those members of our family we live with.

It was simple and short and just right.

I think he got just about everything he wanted and then some.

We asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

He asked for two things.

A bike and for Mommy to stay home with him.

So we spent the whole day together preparing for his birthday dinner.

He sang Happy Birthday to himself everywhere we went.

It was fun to see him for the first time really enjoy his day!

Gift from Mommy and Daddy - Spiderman Bike and gear

The smile says it all. :)

A guitar from Uncle Maile, Aunty Kanga and Baybeem

And this toy which Baybeem was having a great time with!

A new blanket and clothes from Veangu, Lupe and Mele.

 

 

 

By the time he got to Filipe's gift, he was super excited...as you can see.

Baybeem, Aunty Kanga and the birthday boy!

 

Once he got the guitar on, there was no taking it off.

And then he gave us a rockstar concert...LOL!

 

 

He really loved his Birthday!

Thank you to everyone who shared birthday wishes with him.

He really felt special today.

Oh, you make me smile...

His first attempt at writing the letter A :)

Went  to the neighbors house behind him, found this toy and brought it over to model for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's constantly taking pictures of himself on my phone...this is one of them.

And here's another one.

One of my favorite songs is Smile, by Uncle Kracker.

I know it's talking about a significant other...

but some of the words still apply to how I feel about my son.

Love you son.

You make me smile like the sun

Dance like a fool...

Even when you're gone...

You steal away the rain and just like that...

You make me smile...

Don't know how I've lived without you,

Cause every time I get around you,

I see the best of me inside your eyes...

Oh, you make me smile.

Daily smile...

Any one who has ever met my son knows he is a ball of energy.

He is go, go, go all the time unless he's asleep.

He loves to go out.

If we tell him we're going to the store, he asks to go.

We're fortunate to have one of the ladies we live with watch him

for us while we're at work. 

Their normal routine is they stay home 

or go outside, weather permitting.

This weekend the Liahona Kolisitutuku is being hosted by the bay area people.

So she's busy prepping things but says she's okay to watch him.

Normally if I know they need to leave the house I'll leave his car seat at home.

Otherwise it stays in the backseat of my car.

Today they needed it and I forgot to take it out.

She explains to my son that he can't go anywhere because there's no car seat.

He tells her to call my phone he needs to talk to me.

This is the voice mail he leaves me;

"Mom, can you give me my car seat?"

"Love you, bye."

A short pause then...

"This is a message..."

Click.

Put a smile on my face and in my heart 

and made my day. :)

Thanks son.

(wish I could upload the actual message, his authorative tone is too funny)

Perspective...

I was reading the news and it's just depressing.

So now I'm blogging.

Today I'm going to blog about the good.

People and things that make me happy.

The silver lining on the occasional cloud in our days.

So today here are the good things that made the news in my world.

I woke up.

My husband woke up.

My son woke up.

We're still here, one more day together as a family.

All of us are healthy, I use that term loosely.

We're breathing, all fingers and toes intact.

No sickness or ailments.

Pretty darn blessed.

We have a roof over our head.

A car to drive to work in.

A job to provide us with our physical needs.

Love to get us through our emotionally trying times.

The gospel to nourish our ever dried out spirits.

God to give us an eternal perspective.

Family to help us always see the good.

and friends to keep us grateful for trials.

I know I'm biased, 

but that's about the best darn news I've heard all day.

Family times are the best times...

The summer feels like it's in full swing and we are loving the time spent with family.  Since May we've taken a few mini trips for family functions and they are always a blast!

Elijah and Famani si'i playing and Dad in the back.

Semisi Vuna and Famani

 We went to L.A. to see Mom and Dad before they returned to Tonga.

It's always fun seeing the Kisione and Nasi's kids in L.A.

We don't visit them as often as we should.

It was great to spend a day with them, hurrying back for work was a bummer.

We really wanted to spend Mother's Day, but the flights were not good to standby's.

After I "quit" work on May 27, Famani si'i and I flew out the next day to Salt Lake to see my side of the family and to spend Memorial Day with them.

Sia, Nina, Me, Tesi si'i and Akosita visitng Grandma Petesi

 Famani si'i and his BF Juju

Most of the grandkids jumping on the trampoline at Grandma and Grandpa's

 We had such a good time, we decided to stay for a whole other week and celebrate Juni's high school graduation.

I'm really glad we did, because that was a lot of fun.

Lopiseni Finau, Jr - Congratulations!

Famani si'i, Toa, and me at Juni's eating

 Famani came to visit us in Salt Lake because he was missing his son and we ended up staying another full week before he asked us to come home because he was ta'e lata.

When we got back home, my old job called and asked me to temp for them.

I knew they wouldn't have asked if they didn't really need the help, so I went back.

We then went back to Salt Lake this past weekend for Elsie's baptism.

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that she's eight.

I remember when she was born.

She was so beautiful and perfect.

She holds such a sweet and special place in all of her aunties and uncles hearts.

We all consider her our own daughter, even my parents do. 

We could not imagine our family without her funny personality.

We're so proud of her choice to be baptized.

There have been so many stepping stones of our nieces and nephews

that we've missed and I'm grateful we could be there for this one.

Elsie and her Mom Lata

L to R: Maile, Alai, Tesi si'i, Luke and Famani si'i

Dad, Miles, Grandpa Vailama and Elsie

We've been living away from family for over eight years.
Everyone says we appreciate them because distance makes the heart grow fonder.
That's true, but you also realize how valuable something is
when you don't have the luxury of having it around all the time.
That's the case with our families.
They are the most important people in our lives.
So what are we doing spending any more time away from them than we have to?
We're ready for the annoyances that will certainly come with
being around them almost 24/7, but we believe if your going to learn
how to love unconditionally;  what better place to learn than in your family?