As I anticipate the winter snow, I find myself disgusted with the cold air and the thought of having to deal with my driveway when the snow sticks. For those of you who know how steep my driveway is, it's a complete NIGHTMARE! Sure, the neighborhood kids love it, but I hate it. I've had a few people fall and slide down my driveway, including myself and trust me, it's never a pretty sight to see me fall. What do I look like when I take a spill? Picture this... me having a violent convulsion, landing in a convoluted position and then dragging myself (limping if I'm lucky), into the house hoping none of my neighbors saw it. Anyway, I've been fortunate that those who have injured themselves on my slope aren't the sue-happy kind. As you can guess, winter is not my favorite season and I yearn for the other seasons to slow down (but speed up through winter)... since my family and I missed our annual trip up to our town's canyon to see the beautiful fall colors. We still had a little glimmer of hope, so Scott and Mike took our entire clan up the canyon to one of the lakes a week ago in hopes of finding anything that look fall-ish. On the way up, to our disappointment, winter had already set in. Anyhow, here's a recap of our happenings, photos to follow later:
*Visited family in the NW.
*Two of my nieces, Tyana and Nikita, moved in with us. Yay, more babysitters!
*My cuzzie, Ben, left for his mission to Ohio and I have yet to write him. (Note to self: Do it soon!)
*Back to school for the kiddies. Awww, I was so sad.
*Hinckley celebrated his 5th b'day, but my poor sweet boy has to wait another year before he can start kindergarten.
*Dallin celebrated his 3rd b'day (and started preschool).
*Deuce played tackle football for the NYFL again this year and even got picked with his buddy Elias (2 out of 11) to play in the Pro-Bowl team. He's also enjoyed playing for his school sports teams: soccer, flag football and now basketball.
*Norma, Mike and the rest of their clan moved here. I love having them all here!
*Marilyn, Alan and Jordan visited from AZ and spent Halloween with us. We also went to watch their daughter, Melissa "Mo" who plays volleyball for U of NM against the "Y" and cheered her and her team on. It was the first time in our lives we betrayed the Cougs... :( But, we had a great time doing it and Mo's an awesome player!
*Scott and I are the proud Uncle and Aunt for the 37th time to Jane Isa (the beautiful daughter of Dave and Heather... heaps of CONGRATULATIONS Gibbons!!!). We're dying to see her and she's a gorgeous baby!
*Attended my cuzzie Tony's funeral and mingled with some of my family I had not seen in a while. I miss Tony so much!
*Bid adieu to my Mum as she moved to Texas (G'luck Mummy!!!) and the kids had a blast visiting with their Yiayia and Uncle Nick (and they missed their Auntie Ali, who by the way is expecting twin boys... yay, more nephews!!!).
*Steven came home from his mission! He has grown so much and we love having him back!!!
*Thanksgiving with all the trimmings and the best treat was visiting with Melissa, Morgan, Brooke and Travis!
*Took a day trip with Mike, Norma and their family, Ofa, Mark and their family out to Iosepa and visited Temple Square to see this year's Christmas lights.
*And now... Malianna and I are off to Hawai'i to visit my baby sister who's suffering from cancer and is now recovering from double mastectomy. Until we return... Aloooooooohaaaaaaaa!

and there... and some might say I'm everywhere!
Anyway, life has been so hectic that I haven't had time to blog. So, I'll have to catch you up on our family adventures later.

Check this out... my friend Devri has this amazing hair blog called "Hair's Our Life" and she made this adorable spider hair clip. She's also giving one away! So go now and check it out... hurry... stop reading this and go... I said, GO!!! ;)

This morning started out like your typical Monday [at least for me]. On top of getting the kids off to school, doctor's office, school appointment, etc., my little D-man [Dallin] started preschool today. The preschool will work with him on his speech and continue what his speech therapist and playgroup have started. We had been at the doctor's office all morning and got home late, which left me with a couple of minutes to get him ready for school. Literally, 2 minutes. The school bus was in front of my home honking its horn as my frenzied fingers worked to button up his shirt [which must've shrunk from the time I placed it on him to the time he got on the bus] and getting one of his shoes on him. He had no clue as to what was going on. Poor thing. I knew he sensed how stressed out I was getting, but I tried to stay calm as I reassured him that he was going to play in his new class. The bus assistant buckled him into a carseat and D-man started to cry as I attempted to hold back my own tears and I knew I had to make our temporary farewell short and sweet. So I said my "bye-byes," gave him a quick peck and left and then the awful realization of what I failed to remember and prepared set in... I sent him on his first day of school without a backpack and lunch!!! Aaaagh!!! What kind of a mother am I? I was in such a rush that I didn't get a chance to get it all together. And then at 2:30, Ofa and I were working on her blog when I got a phone call [but I couldn't get to the phone on time]. So, when I checked the caller ID, I noticed it was from the bus barn. I quickly glanced over at the time and realized my little man was outside. Frantically, I grabbed the camera [of course], and ran outside to greet D-man. There he was with a Wal-mart shopping bag [ghetto version of a backpack] in hand filled with papers and wearing the biggest smile on this side of the Mississippi. He had a great day and was so eager to show Ofa and I his papers, especially his homework. I hope this excitement over homework carries on throughout his school years [wishful thinking].

My poor baby fractured his arm. Now that he has a cast on it, I can stop babying him, right?

There were tons of kids there including Brittany and Scotty. They picked Anson to be one of the few that got to smile on camera for the new movie about President Thomas S. Monson's life. Anson was in a scene where President Monson visited Samoa and the children were praying for then Elder Monson to shake their hands. We're so proud of Anson. I hope you are too. Here's a short clip from the hour-long movie.

Love Scott




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Photos taken at the shooting of the documentary:

A few days ago, my baby brother Nick and his wife Alissa called us. The conversation went something like this. Please keep in mind that my conversations are very simple (lol):

Nick: Hey sis!

Me: (tired) Hey, what are you guys doing?

Nick: (calm) Oh nothing. How are you guys doing?

Me: We're good. How's Ali?

Nick: She's good.

Me: And you?

Nick: I'm good.

Me: That's good (see not much thought process is needed).

Nick: We survived the hurricane [Hurricane Ike].

Me: Yeah, I'm glad.

Nick: We had minor damage.

Me: Oh good. (pause, feeding Malianna) I wish we could come and see you guys.

Nick: Well, how about Spring Break next year?

Me: I don't know. I have to deal with 2 different school schedules and I work at the kids school now.

Nick: Oh. Well, you should come during Spring Break.

Me: That would be nice, but I'm not sure we can. (I can hear Alissa in the background. I'm on speaker phone).

Nick: Are you sitting down?

Me: (yawn) Yeah (thinking about school classes, yawn).

Nick: Yeah, every time I talk to your kids they always say something like that. If I ask Anson what he's doing, he'll say he's walking and talking to me. Hinckley says he's sitting ... (starts laughing).

Me: (laughing) Yeah, that's my silly boys.

Nick: Well, are you sitting down?

Me: Yes. Why? (wondering)

Nick: Well... (pause) you're going to be an aunt!

Me: (confused) What?

Nick: We're expecting!!!

Me: (still confused) What? Are you serious?

Nick: We're having twins!

Me: (really confused) Do you mean YOU OR YOUR DOGS?!?

Nick: (laughing) We are! Alissa's pregnant!

Me: (shocked) What?!? No way!!! Are you serious? Really?

Nick: (still laughing) Yes!!!

Me: (still in disbelief) NOOOOO WAAAAAAAAY! Is Alissa there?

Nick: (laughing, he laughs a lot) Yeah, she's right here... here she is!

Alissa: Hey sis!

Me: (big eyes) Hi sis! Is Nick kidding around? (He's always pulling my leg. If I was endowed with 14 legs, he'd pull them all).

Alissa: (happily) No sis, it's true... we're having twins!

Me: Really?

Alissa: Yep!!!

Me: (uncontrollable screams of joy) Oh My Gooooooooooosh!!! (screaming again).... whoooooo hoooooo! (tears of joy) Congratulations, sis!!! (Tells all the kids and Scott. They start cheering and shouting for joy. More screams from all of us).

Alissa: (laughing) Thanks sis! Nick said I needed to be here when he told you the news because you wouldn't believe him (can you blame me? he's always joking around).

Me: (laughing) He's right. I wouldn't have. Man, that's so awesome. I can't wait to see my nieces, nephews, or one of each. Wow! Oh man, I am soooooooooo excited!!! (cheeks are beginning to hurt) Man, my cheeks are hurting from smiling!

Alissa: (laughing) I can't wait, either.

Me: So, when are you due?

Alissa: April 14th, but the doctor's not going to allow me to go past the end of March (excited).

Me: (sigh) I wish I could be there (sad), I wish I lived closer to you. So, how are you feeling?

Alissa: I feel good. I haven't thrown up yet.

Me: Really?!? That's so unfair (remembering my own pregnancies).

Alissa: Yeah, I've only felt like I needed to a few times, but I haven't yet.

Me: Wow! You know, I knew you two were going to have twins. Heavenly Father knew I wouldn't be able to handle twins, but you two have been prepared for them. (amazed) This is the best news ever!!!

Alissa: (giggling) I'm already showing. On the ultrasound, one of the babies is bigger than the other.

Me: Oh my goodness. Really?

Alissa: Yep, and you can really see them. When we first heard their heartbeats, we cried.

Me: Awwwww... (tearing up again). Did Nick cry?

Alissa: Yes. He was so cute. It was an awesome experience!

..... our convo continued, then Anson and Hinckley spoke with their Auntie Alissa and it ended on a doubly joyous note!!!


I was hoping to get photos of the twins ultrasounds so that I could insert it in this post, but I haven't received them yet. FYI: Nick and Ali have waited for over 6 years for their children. Our entire family is ecstatic and we can't wait to see them. Anyway, "twins" are very strong in my family: My Mum's brothers were twins, her first cousins had twins, one of my first cousins had twins, and other extended family had twins, etc. It was bound to happen and I knew it was going to happen to them! They have been waiting and are prepared for this very moment and now their huge home will be filled with two valiant souls. CONGRATS NICK AND ALI!!! Imagine, I'm finally going to be an Auntie to two sweet and special little spirits! :)

Mine always seems to be tried one way or another. Most of the time, I wish I had the power to stop things from happening. This has been a trying week for my extended family, dealing with family loss. Three weeks ago, Uncle O.P. passed away, followed by Uncle Fuga last week, Aso [my brother-in-law, Tavale's brother] this past Saturday, Auntie Tolo left 2 days ago, and one of my wonderful cousins, Malele Mili, who was on life support, crossed over yesterday. And recently, I heard another Uncle isn't doing too well. Every time someone I love moves on, I am always left to ponder the plan of Salvation. Questions begin to swarm in my mind to challenge my beliefs. Is there really an after-life? Are my loved ones alright? Will I see them again? I find myself relying more and more on the scriptures and prayers for constant confirmation of that which I know to be true and that is... I know my dear ones are fine and I know I'll see them again. I also know that a very loving Heavenly Father would not let strong and loving family relationships end in this life... after all, if my family brings me happiness now, I'd definitely want it to continue in the hereafter and I'm so glad that the Lord has made it possible for us to be reunited with those we love. I cannot comprehend an eternity without all of my family with me. It's a scary thought.
Tofa soifua Malele, Auntie Tolo, Aso, Uncle OP and Uncle Fuga.
Ia manuia lava lau faigamalaga. E le mafai ona galo outou i o matou agaga.
"Liliu le taimi se'i o'u fai atu ua sui lou alaga, se'i e fusi ma opo mai ita te le'i malaga. E pei se talatu'i mai lo'u agaga, ua motusia la ta mafutaga, e le galo oe, seia uma la'u manava... Ae sau ia e alu ia manuia lau malaga, o le a ou nofo a ua malamalama o'u ala."
Alofaaga ... GBWYTWMA!!!

I found this on a friend's blog, so here's my year...

You Belong in 1999

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

====================================

Many times have I been a witness and/or a recipient of the power of faith, prayers and the priesthood and every time I have been a part of it, I'm smitten with awe. As long as miracles occur, I know I will constantly be fascinated with Heavenly Father's doings, and as for miracles --- Mike called me today and said that Luseane was finally removed from her solitary room in NICU to the open NICU-nursery. The main tubes were removed and Mike and Norma were finally able to hold their precious blessing. My Mum finally got her wish and enjoyed every minute holding her new grand baby. Luseane's recovery has been incredible considering the conditions she had to battle. The odds of recovery were a little higher due to her weight, so who would've thought that being a little over-weight [for your age] could be a good thing? The look on Norma's face says it all... Yiayia's wish...

Getting dressed by Daddy...

Now, that's one big preemie!

Update on Luseane: She's still in NICU, but she's improving. My Mum says she's quite the fighter like her. ;) She's responsive to Norma's voice and squeezes Norma's finger when she speaks to her, even though she hasn't opened her eyes since she's been in NICU. Mike, Norma and Mum are very anxious to hold her, but they have to wait until she's stable. We hope they get the opportunity to cradle her soon. We can't wait to hold her ourselves! Please continue to pray for my niece. She's a special little spirit and she's determined, as we are, to make it!

In honor of the "Breaking Dawn" release, I picked and changed the background from thecutestblogontheblog.com. My Mom and I have been using their templates when they were offered on their blogspot site. Back then, there weren't as many and they didn't have their logo/link on it as they do now. They have a lot more templates, so check them out. Anyhow, I'm super excited to read the new book. I can't wait!

Hinckley got bitten above his left eye, possibly by a spider.

I get so involved with other things that I procrastinate posting our happenings on here... so bear with me as I try to get you caught up! Scott's family reunion was the last weekend in June. It was awesome mingling again with his family... they're fabulous!!!
Also, we were happily blessed with a visit from Scott's sister, Rebecca and her three beautiful kiddos. My oh my, her children have grown so much and it was exciting to see them and to visit with Becca. Becca's a professional genealogist, so I was able to hear a personal lecture on how to start genealogy. Folks, let me just say that she is full of knowledge... she's AWESOME!!! After my lecture, we went to "the Beach" with the Moeai fam, Nathan, Mom, Quinnie-boy, Tyler and Samantha. Becca and Hannah stayed home since poor little Hannah wasn't feeling too well. At "the beach", the older Moeai boys caught several fishes, I'll add that these boys have an incredible talent for fishing. The only thing the rest of us caught was the sun and water.


and have been seeking out both my mother and father's lines and have found a few more of my ancestors and their siblings, but then I hit a brick wall, 4' thick (yes, that thick!), and 20' tall with barbed electric fencing at the top, oh and a pack of wild ravenous, blood-thirsty wolves on the other side... the reason? I've been searching out my father's line who were Negroes from the South and documentation are not as easily attainable or available. But, with Becca's encouragement from her lecture, which I really appreciate and was lucky to have, and with the help of my sis-in-law, Alissa, I'm continuing on with more hope and have ordered my g-grandfather's death certificate, who was a coal miner, in hopes of another lead... a lead to find his second wife, my g-grandmother, Lula. Finding Lula and the others, has made my quest frustrating since not much is known about her and her family.

Also, I've been wanting to find more info on my maternal father's Samoan side and Becca told me that my best bet was to find someone in that field. So until I do that, my Samoan ancestors in that line will have to wait. And while I wait impatiently for my paternal g-grandfather's death certificate, I have been doing HEAPS and HEAPS of research and reading on the coal mining industry and Negro coal miners in WV, McDowell County in particular, and about the Negroes during that time period in the South, mainly Tennessee and North Carolina. I have learned sooooooooooooooo much. I find myself falling asleep while reading into the wee hours of the morning with Malianna on my lap, only to wake up reading where I left off. I have this unquenchable thirst to finish what I have started. There's a good chance that this research will eventually lead me to take a trip back East... so save your money hon! I've also been working on my mother's side of our Tongan heritage for the past 3 years and this week alone, I've logged many hours researching my Tongan line and managed to trace one line 18 generations back, that's 18 GENERATIONS ya'll!!! To be able to go back that far is difficult for many Polynesians since a lot of their history was not written and was only handed down by oral traditions. However, I'm fortunate that the Royal family in Tonga had most of their genealogy documented and I was able to verify my findings.

(Tongan crest)

My g-g-g-grandfather was a prince in Tonga and he fell in love with a Samoan taupou (daughter of a high chief) in Samoa. I was told that he loved her so much that he decided to live in Samoa and marry her.

Anyhow, I know that I'm suppose to pick one person and work on finding that person, but I have to use whatever little spare time I have wisely and search for others while I await more info on the one I'm suppose to work on. It has taken me a few years to find many of my ancestors, but they make only a few branches on my family tree. Speaking of a branch, I'd like to share something that I was told by my paternal grandparents (when they were alive), and my aunts regarding one of my g-grandfathers that I mentioned earlier. He was not only a coal miner in WV, but he became a pastor at an A.M.E. Church in Pittsburgh, PA. He had reddish-brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin. Now, this was the same g-grandfather who was listed as a negro in census' during the period he was working as a coal miner in WV. I wanted to find evidence about his looks... why? Because it's rare to find a black person with those attributes. I knew that if he were to have those features then he must have been a mulatto. Anyway, according to my relatives, my g-grandfather was quite well to do by the time he was a pastor. So, over the last couple of years, I've been trying to track him down and during the process, I've found the names of his father and mother and his mother's family. Then, about 3-4 months ago, I was chatting with Becca about the brick wall I had at that moment and she emailed me copies of the WWI and WWII registration cards for him. WWI listed him as black and the WWII registration card listed him as having brown hair, blue eyes and ruddy skin color... DOCUMENTATION!!! Finally, proof of what I've been told by my relatives and father is true. This venture has opened and even answered a few of my relatives questions about their ancestors. Overall, it's been a tedious process as Alissa can attest, yet we both receive overwhelming joy over the simplest and minuscule findings, most of them have led me to other things. I plan to continue this quest in hopes of finding more of my ancestors and by so doing, I'll uncover my past.

She came home today from girl's camp, suffering from exhaustion due to lack of sleep. Apparently she was up all night talking to her friends... typical teenager, but she had a grand 'ole time with her friends and learned a lot.




I can't believe it! Malianna turned 6 months old today and no matter what I do, I can't seem to keep up with what she's learning. Not only does she have her first tooth, but she can sit up on her own. She's an amazing little girl and she (along with her sibs), bring more and more love and joy into my life everday. We love you, Malianna!!!
At the end of the day, Dallin lost his appetite to the land of zzzzzzzzzz's...

... has a new Swimsuit Edition cover girl:

I turned 30 something yesterday. I'm not too thrilled about getting older, but I was excited to celebrate it with my family, close friends Tessa, Julie, Ofa, Yvette, Kandi and their families... we missed Melissa this year who was at home tending to Brykelle who just had a bladder operation. My cuzzie/brah, Vao came with Lafo and Nathan. It's always nice to have family around and as most of you know how much I detest parties or other events that places me in the limelight, so my friends came up with a solution and that is, to have ONE big party held at Tessa's cabin in the canyon, where we could celebrate all of our birthdays together, even though some of us have birthdays in the beginning of the year. It works out quite well and it has become an annual tradition.

Thank you to all of my family and friends who called and for the gifts! Heaps of MUAAAAAAHS and lovies to you all.

For the past month and a half, Malianna's been drooling like a slobbering dog in the dead heat of summer (only without the panting).

We would put a bib on her at times to catch the copious downpour and at one point, the thought of her teething came to my mind, but I pushed the thought aside since none of my other children had gone through the teething stage this early. So, I was on the phone an hour ago with my SIL, Alissa, when Anson rushed into my room with the baby and yelled out, "Mom, Malianna is getting a tooth!" Of course I didn't think Anson knew what he was talking about and told him that she wasn't. I took Malianna and laid her on my bed and there it was... her first tooth, protruding from her lower gums! Anson was right!