My Sisters, My Heros

My sisters, Constance, Elizabeth, & Victoria. We're going to Utah because Connie graduates next week and then will go teach English in Taiwan. Liz is trying to get into the architecture program at the University of Utah. Vickie graduated in Food Science and works full-time as a manager while her husband finishes up his degree.

My sisters are my closest friends, and are so talented and smart. I'm writing this post because Liz and Vickie have both successfully completed a marathon each. I'm so inspired! My good friends, Michelle, Gina and I want to train for a half marathon. But I also really want to do the full National Marathon that will be held in March next year. I'm nervous about this, but I have great examples to look up to!

Liz just ran the Salt Lake City marathon in 4 hours and 50-something minutes. Look at how happy she is to see the finish line! Wow, Lizzie go! My dad said Liz should write a book about her method of training. She used to run track/ cross-country in high school and is in good shape. Basically, she only ran once a week, but she did really long runs. We've been teasing her about that, but she really did so great!

Isn't she cute?
Good job Lizzie! You're amazing!

Our little men, Then & Now

The first picture was taken of Elijah & Nicholas last year - its amazing to me how much they've grown! I think they look a little more manly, a little taller, with lots more hair. It was completely unplanned that they sat in the same exact spots. Thank you, Jenny for sending me these pictures! Good times & memories.

BYU Management Society Dinner

We had a great time at this interesting dinner! The room was filled with political leaders, ambassadors, a couple of apostles, and many of our local church leaders. Tiana guessed that half the ward was there because they rescheduled ward temple night! We met some really wonderful people, such as Chris's charismatic parents, as well as guest speaker Elder Ballard, and Elder Cook. I felt priviledged to shake hands with these great men. I also met Senator Hatch for the first time, thanks to Aaron.

We were able to attend this special event through very generous means. I thought Aaron had bought these tickets, but I was wrong. We have Chris & Kelli Mehalic to thank for inviting us to sit at their table, who received the tickets for an entire table from a generous couple (Sterling & Ellie) in our ward to give out because they could not attend. MAHALO Chris & Kelli, and also Sterling & Eliie! We also are so grateful to Allison Snow for watching our kids that night when she could have been attending a Stake dance. She's wonderful!

The food was delicious but I was not able to enjoy it as I would have liked because I got a terrible headache that made me really, really nauseous.

We had fun driving down with Tiana and CJ and they taught us a quick way to get down to Georgetown. They also took these fun pictures! I so grateful our friends and that they take pictures.

Elder Ballard spoke about how it's important to get inolved in public discussion/forums about the church to dispell misunderstandings/the false ideas out there about the church and even encouraged us to do this through blogging! : ) We thought that was pretty cool. He talked a lot about how we should talk more about how the church and gospel affects in our everyday life with our friends, including those who may not be members of the church. For a fun, more detailed version of this awesome night, just check out Tiana's blog! (Or maybe you already have!) : )

A Walk through Kenwood

Michelle and Jenny sent these pictures to me! I'm so grateful to them for recording this special memory for me and to live in such a beautiful place. Apparently a couple of days after we took this walk, the rain washed these beautiful cherry blossoms away. We really lucked out. It was absolutely breathtaking. And surreal - fluttering pink petals fell slowly as snow and lined the streets like potpourri. We literally live across the street from this neighborhood. I always feel closer to God in the splendor of nature. One of my favorite primary songs expresses it best. "Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue, blue sky./ Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by./ Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by a lilac tree./ I'm so glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me."

I love this verse sometimes more. "He gave me my eyes that I might see, the color of butterfly wings./ He gave me my ears that I might hear, the magical sound of things./ He gave me my life, my mind, my heart; I thank him reverently./ For all his creations of which I'm a part./ Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me."

Sweet Damon and Michelle.

Taylor, Damon, Elise & Elijah posing in front of some random person's spring garden.

Elise is thrilled to run into our good friends, Micheal, Nicholas & Jenny.

All the kids enjoying a little CapriSun. Taylor, Nicholas, Damon, Micheal, Elijah & Elise.

Eliah & Nicholas chowing down after a delightful day! Too bad I don't have that picture from a year ago, with them sitting in the exact same spot! : )

Entirely Elise & her Zoo Party

This post is dedicated to our sweet Elise. Her Hawaiian middle name, Mahealani, means the fullest, most beautiful moon. We like to interpret that as: one who reflects the light of the sun (or Son). She does in that she is embodies unconditional love. She is so expressive in her affection, despite my imperfections. (Or she just doesn't see them yet!) She exclaims often that she's "so glad you home now." She loves to nuzzle and say, "I love you." We feel blessed to be her parents! This morning, after we had our family prayer, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, look." She held up her teddy bear while folding his little brown arms. She is so sweet.

Here is a slideshow of her life thus far... Be warned, there are heaps and heaps of pictures. We love you Elise, "too much" ! (Her way of saying so much.)

To celebrate her birthday, we got together with Elise's best friends and cousins at the National Zoo. We also made a cake for Kiara because her birthday was the day before.

My BF (haha ; ) Michelle lent me her camera so that I could take all these pictures. Thanks so much!

Without our cousin Sarah Auna, we wouldn't have even had a party - she seriously rescued it. I realized an hour before that Aaron had my keys, so Sarah loaded up her car with all the food and Elise while Elijah and I metro-ed & jogged as fast as we could. She's the best! We are so grateful to that their family lives so close by!

Thank you so much!! I realized I didn't take pictures of either of them. : (

Afterward, we got to go to go to the petting zoo and the Amazonia. Elise had so much fun! We so grateful for everyone that celebrated with us! We love you.

Afternoon with Ashley

On our trip to Oregon, we drove up to Seattle to see my cute college roommate, Ashley Chong who lives in Silverdale, WA. We were pretty inseperable at college.

This picture is of her and her neice, Alyssa. Aren't they beautiful?

It's pretty amazing because after we had become friends at BYU-Hawaii, my mother discovered that Ashley's father was her anesthesiologist during my sister's birth in Okinawa. Our parents say that we had met as babies, but of course we don't remember. I don't think it's by mistake that our paths have crossed more than once.

She's so tiny, I feel huge! : )
Another cool peice of trivia is that I met Ashley the day I met Aaron. So I like to think that day, I met two very important people. : )

Ashley is one of the most thoughtful, kind, generous and selfless people I have ever met. She really appreciates & seeks beauty in the world around her, and has such a calming effect on people. She's just a truly lovely person inside & out! I really feel like she's family and love her to bits. It was so good to see her again!


We had a lovely picnic at Bradley Lake Park. Ash brought a Mary Poppins-like basket that seemed to keep giving - salad, veggies, rice crispy treats. She is so prepared and generous! She will be an amazing mom someday.
Me and my girl, Elise. I love her face in this picture!

Thanks Ashley for sending me these pictures!


Elise and Ty, Ashley's nephew.

Why no new posts?

It's depressing, but I lost our camera on our way home.... and thus all the pictures from our wonderful trip to see my best childhood friend Eike and her new hubby; also my best college friend/roomie/workout buddy Ashley; and Aaron's wonderful Uncle Ahlberg and his beautiful family. So I will be updating as I get pictures from my wonderful friends and family. : )