The New Year

New Year, new word. Last year, my word was "follow-through" and it was good to me. With that word posted in a visible place on the kitchen desk, I was gently reminded to finish the task I started. The beauty of the word was that it applied to just about anything from daily life to church life and everything in between. It wasn't a list of goals that were forgotten by March and tossed by June. It wasn't a reminder that I hadn't completed a single task on my list of New Year's resolutions. Just a nudge.

This year, my word is BALANCE. I think one of the things that contributes to my bouts of depression is feeling overwhelmed and off-kilter. Too many things on the to-do list, not enough time in the day, not making good use of the time available. Creating a loose schedule of goals and set days to work on projects, CBH, my doTERRA business (started last week, mostly as a way to help pay for the essential oils I'm using more for myself and the children) and time for exercise will help me to stay focused. For example, knowing that Wednesday afternoon is for the blood bank, I don't have to wonder how or when or if All Valley will be charged in an appropriate time. Actively creating time for each aspect of my life makes me happy since I'm very much a planner and Type A personality anyway. And yes, I'll schedule time for spontaneity as well....

We started 2018 by making a somewhat last minute trip to Utah. I found out that Chadwick's sister, Emily, and her family were going to be in the Salt Lake area for a week and wanted to make use of the opportunity to see them. Emily's daughter, Sarah, just got off her mission in San Diego in December and was heading back to BYU. I totally invited myself and my family to intrude on their time in Utah and it worked out wonderfully. On New Year's Eve we had dinner with Emily's brother-in-law and his family in their home (which, by the way, they had moved into literally two weeks before our arrival). The new house is huge and our kids promptly disappeared for the evening to play with the Davis girls. At one point, I asked Chadwick if he had seen Morgan or Mallorie. With a shrug and sly smile, he responded, "Out of sight, out of mind."

Monday we went to Thanksgiving Point and the Museum of Ancient Life - rooms of dinosaurs and bones and a mud-table, yes please!

 

We managed to meet up with a vet school classmate, Liz, and her little family. Another vet school friend also happened to be in town and joined the fun. The funny thing to me is that of the three couples, none of us currently live in Utah. The afternoon was spent at a park enjoying some sunshine and fresh air. We rested briefly at the hotel before driving back up to Salt Lake City. Experiencing the Christmas lights at Temple Square has been on my bucket list for a while - it was amazing! I've never seen so many lights in one spot. The Temple is beautiful on a normal evening, but the lights added another layer of beauty and spirit. The pictures don't do it justice.

 

 

 

 

 

We passed the window front of the Macy's store on the way to Costa Vida for dinner - each window contained a giant creation of candy!! It was amazing.

 

After eating, it was back to the hotel for another late bedtime. We let the kids swim a bit the following morning, said goodbye to Emily, her kids, and the Davis family and drove back to Meridian on clear roads. As a side note, I love Emily's brother-in-law and wife, Tim and Michelle! Our girls got along fabulously and they are wonderful. "When are you moving to Boise?" I asked. Their response, "You should move to Sandy."

On the way home, we stopped at Subway for lunch. This cup was a little too Oregon Duck for my taste....

The month has flown by with the return to school, resuming of music and dance classes, and a busier work schedule for me. I've made it to the Temple this month, am on my third week of training for a sprint triathlon, and really like my teaching companion for Primary. I scrubbed part of my kitchen floor, have been de-cluttering the extra bedroom closet, and cleared out old toys in the toy bin. Let's keep the momentum going!

Holiday Blessings

I was going to title this post "holiday madness" and decided something more positive was warranted. While the end of every year really is chaos and busy, there's such a sweet spirit of giving and anticipation that permeates the atmosphere. With Steve and Nancy on their mission and other in-town family members with their in-laws, Thanksgiving was a quiet, food-filled, game-playing affair with Stephen, Tara, and their three children at our house. I love having them in town!

 

We created our "thankful tree" at the beginning of November; it's so fun to hear the things that my children are thankful for. I still get to make up things for which Spencer is grateful, though it's fairly obvious when you listen to or watch him and his food/toys/sisters.

December started cold and snow-less. During the winter of 2017, we were 5 inches deep by the second weekend and continued to freeze for the next month and a half. The weather this winter has been more normal, if a bit warm. I had a quick weekend getaway to visit Dessa and her family in Seattle. It was refreshing to spend time with someone who has known me so well for so long, to catch up, laugh, offer and receive life advice, and get to know her children a bit better. She's an amazing person and I am truly amazed to be considered one of her "home team" and know that I'm better for that friendship. She had to work on Friday so I spent the day with her husband, Victor, time that I greatly enjoyed. Their son, Santi, came down with a fever Friday night so the boys stayed home Saturday while Dessa and I packed up the car and their daughter, Elena, for a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. As I had never been to Poulsbo, we drove north and had lunch at this adorable Bavarian restaurant - they had the most amazing soft pretzel!! The size of a dinner plate, it was enough for the two of us to split as an appetizer. After, we drove back to Bainbridge and walked around town a bit before catching the late afternoon ferry back to Seattle. We dropped Elena off with Victor and went back downtown for dinner. When choosing a restaurant, I had looked at several that were "family friendly" and near the water. My mom, however, pointed out that we could eat at a family restaurant anytime but as it was just going to be the two of us, an "adult" location should be the goal. Ha! Thus, Dessa made reservations at a fancy French place with amazing food, an experienced wait staff, and mature ambience. 

 

 

Sunday was spent with the kids at the market, taking DalPorto-Dumas family photos with Dessa's parents and dogs, and traveling back to Boise. There was much talking and laughter and I can't wait to see her again sometime. Perhaps while camping....

The days got darker earlier and the kids wound up for Christmas. I didn't have to do too much last minute shopping and was proud of myself for not going crazy. Granted, I never ran the numbers so I don't know how it actually came out in the end. Who's counting? 

School went down to the wire and Morgan ended the Friday before the big day. We spent Christmas Eve at home as a family. I actually branched out and tried a new dinner for the night - it felt weird as I have spent so many Eves eating our version of the Swedish smorgasbord. Split pea soup with potatoes and ham, salad, and home made bread rounded out the meal. Chad's sister-in-law Beth gave me her top secret bread recipe years ago. I didn't have all the ingredients but improvised and created an edible version of bread loaves! Can't wait to try it again with all the "right" stuff. 

 

 

I was grateful the kids slept into their normal time Christmas morning (Donna's kids woke her at 3:30 am) and we opened stockings while waiting for the French toast to bake. Presents in the den in front of the fireplace was next on the agenda and didn't disappoint. Umbrellas from Santa, a tool set, car tracks, Squinkies, Hatchimals, Shopkins, more toy cars, Paw Patrol toddler undies (small underwear are so cute!), and each girl received a 2-gallon fish tank. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Story behind the tanks - the girls have been asking for their own pet for about forever. I don't particularly want anything resembling a rodent or reptile....I loved my fish tank growing up. Trouble was, I also wanted a tank for myself. Fast forward to the middle of January and we now own not one, not two, but three fish tanks. Is that like the equivalent of being a crazy cat person??

It was a big hit, especially since they got to choose their fish and some décor. Unfortunately, Mallorie's four cloud fish lived about a week before being sucked into the filter after dying. We got her a beta like Morgan and he's still with us. Spencer was asking for a shark....the big tank we purchased off Craigslist came with a red tail shark! He hugged the tank and said, "I love my Sharkie." He cracks me up.

Dinner Christmas night was with Stephen and James and their families at Stephen and Tara's house. We Skyped with Nancy and Steve, ate lots of good food, played some foosball, and enjoyed some laughs. I love this family into which I married!!

It was  a lovely holiday. 

From Polynesian Cultural Center Back to Boise

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), located on Oahu's north shore, is a must-see when visiting the island. It boasts 42-acres of tropical splendor and provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the rich heritage of the Pacific Islands. The Center is broken up into seven different "islands," each representing a Polynesian culture. There's a canal that runs through the middle on which you can take a ride or watch the daily Canoe Pageant floating down the shallow, fish-filled water. There are shops, places to snack, and it boasts one of the best luaus on the island. For $90+ per child's ticket, we opted to eat at the more reasonably-priced buffet (which reminded me of the one we frequented with my grandparents back in the day. Located by the mall, it never was very good...).

 

 

We spent at least five hours wandering around, listening to the local music, people watching, and experiencing a small taste of another culture. Each "island" had a set of ink tattoos that you could get, and the kids loved having the black ink rolled onto different body parts. I asked one of the women if the movie Moana was a close representation to the Polynesian culture. It must have been a slightly stupid question as it took her a minute to respond. She said that the movie was a fairly good mixture of all the cultures, not one in particular. After receiving a small taste of the Pacific Islands, I would have to agree with her.

 

 

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints founded the PCC in 1963 as a non-profit organization in partnership with BYU-Hawaii (located not far from the Center). A good 75% of the workers are Polynesian natives and students at BYU-Hawaii. They work 7-14 hours a week at the Center and is part of a scholarship they can receive while attending the university. I was impressed by that on several levels - it gives students a chance to earn money while attending a well-known university. It keeps them in touch with their heritage and allows them to share it with others. And it made the somewhat extravagant entrance fee more worthwhile.

Per recommendation by the guy at the ticket counter, we prioritized our time by visiting the Islands of Aotearoa (in New Zealand), the Islands of Samoa, the Islands of Tahiti, the Islands of Tonga, and Hawaii. We viewed part of the Canoe Pageant - Spencer was more interested in the fish than the people dancing on the canoes. Chadwick and I participated in an Tahitian wedding ceremony - the actors told the story of how the wedding works, then invited married couples in the audience to renew their vows. Sitting on a blanket on the grass, we repeated our vows while keeping an eye on Spencer who was flirting with a little girl nearby.

 

I like the ceremony and history of tradition found in each of these villages.

Morgan and Mallorie went fishing (Spencer emptied the diaper bag and proceeded to line up items on the sidewalk), we each got tattoos, we walked, viewed dances from Aotearoa which reminded me of the dance Maui did in the movie before opening the door to the underworld on top of the hill, drooled over the shaved ice people were eating, learned to keep a beat in Samoa with the large sticks they use in their music. We walked some more and learned that the people of Hawaii came up with the name ukulele because the fingers of the player resembled a flea jumping around - "uku lele." We ended the day at the buffet.

 

 

 

The grand finale of the evening was a show entitled "Ha: The Breath of Life Show." It started at 7:00 pm and lasted an hour and a half....Morgan was the only kiddo to make it through the show without falling asleep. (Side note: she was coming down with a cold that day and made it through the activities with the help of Children's Advil to keep the fever at bay) There was music, a story of two people falling in love, marrying, and having a child. It told of contention between villages, of love, of laughter, and life. The music was amazing and featured each of the Polynesian cultures throughout the night.

Friday we stuck around the beach house a bit more. Morgan was still fighting a fever and Mallorie was coming down with one. Games, pool time, and books occupied the day. Chadwick and I snuck out on a date for dinner and wound up at a little hole in the wall called Aloha Poke. There was a bench with a few stools and I get the impression most people take their food to go. The service was quite slow and the food was delightful! We walked to the beach and ate on a picnic table overlooking the bay in Makaha. It was a nice end to a busy, family filled week.

 

 

 

When in Hawaii, Chadwick must run. And run he did, a half marathon on the eastern side of the island north of Honolulu. In typical fashion, he woke early, drove for 2 hours, ran his race, and drove home. He placed well, though the humidity took its toll about half way through the race. Once back at the beach house, he showered and helped us finish packing. Spencer made sure he said goodbye to Tiki Man.

Our flight didn't leave until 10 pm, so we loaded up the car and toured the Honolulu Aquarium with David's family and my parents.

Dinner was at a nice restaurant downtown and then we split to catch our separate flights. The kids did really well on the way home - they basically slept the whole time. I couldn't get comfortable and watched movies for the 5 hour flight. I'm too old to be pulling all nighters! We had a layover of like 4 hours in Salt Lake City, where Spencer continued to sleep and I caught a 30 minute nap on the floor in terminal B. James picked us up from the airport, jet lagged and tan. Boise was cold but not unbearable; I vowed not to complain about the temperature for at least 24 hours as I was so tired of sweating! We all agreed it was nice to be back in our own beds again.

Mallorie still asks for the time in Hawaii, at least once a week if not more. The girls can't wait to head back. Spencer talked about his cousin Kade for several days after coming home and we all miss Grandma and Grandpa. We're hoping to gather again in 2019 in Albuquerque for Christmas.

I'm grateful for my family - for our quirks, our support, and love for one another. For the tolerance we learn while together and the laughter that was shared. Here's to a new tradition of regular reunions!