Clark's Elioak Farm

Last Wednesday we drove up to Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicott City to spend time with our lovely cousins, Sarah, Audrey and Aley IV. It was like an adventure/ theme playground and it cost only $4.50 a person to get into the petting zoo! It was cool, breezy and bright outside. We loved it!

A ton of other pictures...

Lake Needwood 10K

A few words made me anxious when I read the description for the Lake Needwood 10K: "muddy", "hilly", and "challenging"! They weren't joshing. However, last week we went to test out the terrain, and the light was perfect, the ground was springy and this is what it looked like. (Thank you Laura for taking these beautiful pictures!) And then it rained. And rained.My running friends, Laura & Gina at the starting line before the race.

Unfortunately, Laura had eaten something the night before that made her sick and Gina wasn't feeling well either.


You would think that with all the rain, it wouldn't be humid, but it was. The humidity was tough on all of us and made Gina nauseous, but we both reached our goal to qualify for the National Marathon! Our results are posted here.

Gina has been a great training partner & has become a dear friend. Our conversations while running have always been interesting - from child rearing to music & books to politics! Lots of food for thought and I have learned so much from her.

I have been killing myself all year to keep up with her. She's quite fast and she has run a 10K in 50 minutes. I could tell that she wasn't feeling like herself during this race. We started speed work last week, because something she said struck me. She talked about how important it is to push yourself, because otherwise you become stagnant. Isn't that so true about so many things in life? I despise speedwork, but know she is right.

I admire how down-to-earth she is, how modest she is despite having so many creative talents (like cooking), and how open-minded she is whilst voicing her opinions. I'm grateful to have her as a friend, and she inspires me to be a better person.

I was so impressed with Laura! This was her first time running a distance this long and she did so great! She reminds me so much of my sister, Vickie (and interestingly her husband reminds me of my brother-in-law), she's reflective, insightful, always striving to excel, unassuming and kind.

We had to pose with our cute cheering squad. On the right is Gina's family: baby Anna, her husband Alex, and sons Christopher and Mark.

Aaron was so sweet. I am kind of superstitious when it comes to certain things and the night before the running the 10K I had to have whole wheat noodles. So he made sure to buy them, as well as some sports drinks. He cheered us on in his big, Hawaiian voice and took a lot of pictures. I was so encouraged when I heard him and the kids cheer.

Others who inspire me: My sisters, Liz and Vickie have both run marathons. They are amazing!

Debs, who is basically my trainer. I send her my goals and report to her each week. She's so smart, she's taught me how important it is to be accountable to someone to accomplish your goals!


Kaelene, my first running partner in DC. She ran cross-country at BYUH with her husband Sanoe. I also remember her running two weeks after she had her first child! I know, amazing. I miss you guys!

So, I still freak out when I think about actually running a marathon, but at least now I am one step closer to doing it. And I have a great book. Thanks Annette!

A DATE WITH ROYALTY

Elise and I went out on a daddy-daughter date to McDonalds a few days ago to eat some ice cream cones. We talked about her experiences at joy school and a host of other things she wanted to talk about.

She is growing up so fast. Jackie and I are so pleased with her growth and development. She cares for others deeply.... She is always mindful of her brother... She helps mom and dad around the house with chores... She loves to cook...She loves to sing... She is a determined spirit... She is my princess.

Zoo Statues

You might think, if you were to look at pictures from this zoo outing, that we only visited animals made of stone! This was not the case, but they're fun to climb and makes for cute pictures. This was a perfect day for the zoo!

A Walk through Wheaton Park

It was a gray, windy day last Friday, but despite that we met up with the other Aunas, Jenny and her two boys and Katie & her crew at Wheaton Regional Park - and had a great time!

A sweet picture of the two cousins, Elise & Audrey on a bridge overlooking Brookside Gardens, which is adjacent to Wheaton Regional Park.

Elise, Lucy, Audrey, Thomas, Elijah & Aley IV inside an interesting, hollow trunk.

Elise adores Micheal!

Two cuties, Nicholas and Elijah.


Cute Katie pushing her two kids, plus one of mine and my heavy diaper bag up the hill. I was extremely grateful!

How BYUH Alumni Roll...

First, meet up with fellow Alumni + family... (Elise & Elijah with cousins, Audrey and Aley Auna at the Folger-Pratt farm.)

Next, eat some ono food (typical ecclectic plate lunch in Hawaii)... Then eat some more....

After that either perform or watch some cultural Polynesian dancing... (My camera phone stinks, but Tiffany Ah Loe is an amazing dancer!)

Then conduct necessary Alumni Chapter business. In this case, chapter heads Salei`a and Joe Fa`amuli passed the baton to Mika (above) and Tiffany Ah Loe. They are a beautiful and talented family! We are so grateful for the service of the Fa`amulis - they have sacrificed so much and made us feel so loved!

Then party some more-- Elijah shouts for joy!

Clean-up the beautiful facillities and drive home, six hours after the party started.

I think the turnout would have been better if it had not been raining sheets and sheets. The kids had a blast though, and it was a refreshing activity out in the country.

Pearl Anniversary: 30 years

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

My sisters and I feel that we were blessed the best parents in the whole world! I'm grateful for the divinely organized family unit and for the beautiful truth that these special bonds can last throughout eternity.

Thirty years ago, my parents were married in Hawaii and baptised later that day into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Later, our family was sealed in the Tokyo Temple. During the times I was faced with rejection when serving a mission, I'd think of my parents who were searching for truth. They listened to the Spirit and were soft-hearted enough to accept the gospel - it gave me such hope! I always had to wonder too, what I would have done if I were in their position.

I love my parents so much and admire them because of their curiosity for life, thirst for learning, hard work, extreme selflessness & generosity, creativity, unconditional love, wisdom and understanding. They inspire me to be a better person and to achieve my dreams and goals. I also admire the marriage they have because they are best friends who work hard together and are a great team. My father always put us in our place when we were disrespectful to my mom in our horrible teens and he would remind us what a special woman she is. My favorite thing living in Maui after my mission was waking up to the sound of them laughing in the next room about something. They are beautiful people. I am so grateful for their sacrifices and to have them as my parents.

Hawaiian Twinners

Actually, Michelle is Debi Harwood's daughter who was adopted from China. During the Chevy Chase Playgroup so many ladies from the park asked if they were brother and sister! I wonder why... : ) I just love this picture of them in their matching Hawaiian outfits. Michelle is such a sweet, peaceful tempered gal.

Christmas & Halloween in August

Don't you love packages from your family? We do!! It always feels like we're celebrating a birthday or Christmas morning.

This is a Hawaiian print tablecloth that Aaron's mom sewed for us. I love it especially because it has turtles on it. It's so beautiful and she's generous and creative!

My brown babies giving each other sweet hugs. Elise modelled her fun, new Hawaiian print bathing suit! I think she insisted on wearing it all day + night!

The kids exploring Elise's pink and fabulous hair accessory kit from Aunty Jacelyn. Elise would throw a fit if Elijah accidently caused any part of it to become out of place.

This is what Elise came up with when experimenting with her new hair clips. Other goodies that Aaron's mom sent us but that I did not get a picture of: poi and cuttlefish - yum! They disappeared too fast into Aaron's tummy. Thank you Hilo Ohana for the wonderful box!

(Elise is pretty in pink, a princess fairy)

These adorable Halloween costumes are from my mom, who is an expert in finding amazing deals! These were aparently too good of a deal to pass up. I let them wear it once and then I had to hide them so that they wouldn't get ruined or wear out their novelty before Halloween.

Sorry, it's sideways - I can't figure out how to flip it around! It's a read-only file.

Elijah growls! Watch out, this little lion cub is one tough cookie! He LOVES growling and dressing up! This costume is the perfect combination!
Other goodies from Maui Grandparents: A cute dress for Elise, a book on gardening, Hawaiian salt, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts w/ powdered sugar! (We gave those to our sweet neighbor who jumped our car when our battery died!) Thank you mom and dad for always thinking of us and sending fun boxes! My mom sent me a box every month on my mission!

Our Kids & the Kelliheleuas

Did I mention that the kids adored Debs and Josh? It takes Elise a little while to warm up to people, but once she does - look at her snuggle with Debs! Elise came to associate the Olympics with Deb & Josh because they were here the week it started. Elijah was so silly. He wanted to be like Josh so he put red play dough on his mouth like a little mustache! (Did Josh help him with that or did Elijah do that himself?) Elise also loved Josh's beard and loved to rub it randomly, whenever he was within her reach. Deb and Josh will be amazing parents, their children are lucky to have them.

Dinner in Honor of our Friends

From left to right: Debbie & Josh Keliiheleua, The Aunas, Susannah, Jeff & Kate Taylor, Michelle & Damon Holbrook. (All pictures courtesy of Josh Keliiheleua.)
Cheering for the Olympics.
I love this photo!

It's fun to have so many people you love all in the same room together - that's why I made Michelle & Damon come. Michelle has been a thoughtful, true friend to me ever since we became neighbors back at the Fields of Bethesda. I feel like I can talk to her about anything and she makes any conversation fun. I feel so sad that we don't get to see them for weeks on end - we used to see each other almost everyday!

Jeff and Susannah just moved out west to LA actually for work, and we miss them already! Jeff and I were RA's together He has a talent for making people laugh. He's super charismatic and witty. (Matt Beecher reminds me of him that's also why I wanted Michelle to meet him. ) Susannah is rocks at trivia pursuit, is an avid reader, and a talented vocal performer/actress. Little Kate is beautiful.

We love and miss the Keliiheleuas. I greatly admire Debbie and Josh! They stayed with us for a week and a half and it didn't feel that long at all! It was just like having a sister and brother over to stay. The kids really missed them when they left. Debbie and I were neighbors in the same dorm back in Hawaii. She really inspires me with her thirst for learning, she's another avid reader who strives for excellence and to be her best self in everything - it's contagious. She's so healthy! She's warm and not afraid to speak her mind, a dreamer and a doer. Josh is a true teacher, his head is crammed with so much knowledge and he has a really interesting way of sharing and conveying what he knows. During every conversation, you just end up thinking, "Wow, he knows a lot!" He's a super talented photographer, and I'm not just a little envious of that talent. He's funny and laid-back. I think he could get along with anyone!

I'm just grateful for true friends, who inspire and uplift!