2day has been a very SPIRITUAL & MOVING sabbath day. It started @ 7 am. We start church @ 9 so we had 2 make sure we were a little early 2day. The girls were asked last Sunday if they could participate in the Christmas program 2day. Aaliyah was given John 3:15-16 to recite & then they were 2 sing 'He Sent His Son'
John 3:15-16 reads. . . .'That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.' 'For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.'
'He Sent His Son'
How could the Father tell the world
Of love & tenderness?
He sent his Son, a new-born babe,
With peace & holiness.
How could the Father show the world
The pathway we should go?
He sent his Son to die for us
And rise with living breath.
What does the Father ask of us?
What do the scriptures say?
Have faith, have hope,
Live like his Son,
Help others on their way.
What does he ask?
Live like his Son.
The whole program was FILLED w/different types of musical numbers given by different families in our branch. The Tuione girls did their musical numbers playing their musical instruments. 2 of them play the violin & the other plays the cello. They are AMAZING. They brought such a CALMING spirit into our sacrament meeting. And a boat load of tears came rolling down my face. :D
After sacrament, we joined my dad's temple prep class which is always REFRESHING 2 go 2. Reminds us of the things we learned & had 2 endure & continue 2 endure in order 2 reach exaltation. It was GREAT. As soon as Sunday School ended, Hoko & I parted ways. Me 2 Relief Society & Hoko 2 the Elders Quorum. When we entered the RS room, it was decorated so beautifully. The chairs weren't lined up in rows as they usually are. The room was filled w/round tables & it smelled so WONDERFUL in there. The aroma that filled the air had my mouth watering IMMEDIATELY. Lol. Our AWESOME RS Presidency put on a brunch 4 the RS sisters. Nothing fancy, but that didn't take away 4rom the quality or taste of the food @ all. :D We were fed all different types of soups that we were able 2 choose 4rom & scoop into bread bowls that were homemade by one of the counselors, Kalo Amasio. :D They were DEE-LISH!! :D Our Branch President's wife, Trina, shared w/us a short message on the real reason 4 the season. :D Reminded us all that Christmas is 2 celebrate the birth of our Savior. Minus all the hype of Christmas tree decor, presents that include toys & clothes & shoes galore. . . .but is in celebration of our dear Savior's birth. Trina reminded us that in order 2 have the spirit of Christ, we need 2 be GIVING. Giving of our time, talents & services in order 2 move the work of our Lord 4ward here on earth. She ended w/the mormon message that I will end w/as well. Merry Christmas 2 all of you families, friends & passerby's. :D Happy Holidays 4rom our family 2 yours. :D
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tis' The Season. . . . :D
PROBLEM SOLVED :D
So, our handsome Savou has been growing @ the speed of light, it seems. Lol. And not just bodywise, but his hair as well. This funny little fella has the kind of hair that is so thick & full all around his head, except 4 the top. Lol. It's the FUNNIEST thing. With his sides growing so long, it seems 2 be growing right into his ears. Since he has curly hair, it's long, but curls right into his ears. Poor thing. . . .it's constantly irritating him cause it itches him all the time. In his efforts 2 satisfy his itching, he tends 2 scratch himself on the sides of his face. :( I ended up tying his hair into 2 pony tails & even though he looked like a girl. . . .I left it in all day!! :D I'm happy 2 report: PROBLEM SOLVED!! :D 
Thursday, December 17, 2009
'Julie & Julia'
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Half Way There. . . .
This past Friday we were able 2 head north 2 Ogden & join in the celebration of our baby sister, Taeao's graduation 4rom Weber. :D We're so so PROUD of her. With all the struggles that she's had 2 go thru 2 get 2 this point. . . .I am very HUMBLED & GRATEFUL 4 the FAITH/EXAMPLES that she continues 2 set 4 us. :D She is an AMAZING young woman!! :D
She's 'half way there' & is looking 4ward 2 another 2 yrs of schooling 'til she receives her Bachelors Degree. :D We headed 2 Chuck's afterwards 2 get our GRUB on. And boy did we GRUB. Lol. I swear Ogden has the BEST Chuck's in UT hands down!! :D Every Friday is 'SEAFOOD NIGHT' & the options 2 choose 4rom were so YUMMY!! :D With FAMILY around. . . .it's always a GREAT time!! :D And we are definitely so GRATEFUL 4 all of ours!! :D 
Thursday, December 10, 2009
FHE This Week Definitely Hit Home :D
Topic: Simplify Your Christmas By Embracing The Spiritual Side Of Christmas
Scripture: 'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:11)
Thought: The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines & more time serving others. You may spend less money on - and more time with - the people you love. You may lose yourself & everything else that matters.
Purpose: Plan & prepare as a family to celebrate Christmas by enjoying the true spirit of the Savior's birth during the holiday season.
Lesson: I prepared simple 'Christmas Priority Charts' for the 3 older girls. I printed out 2 coloring pages of Joseph, Mary & the baby Lord Jesus as their activity. Being only 2 & 3 yrs old. . . .we have to differentiate their activity from the older ones sometimes. :D I had the girls examine their Christmas priorities. I had some extra card stock paper with a variety of different colors, but chose to pick one color in order to keep their focus on the activity instead of who has which color & wanting to switch to other colors. Lol. The color of choice was YELLOW. :D I cut the card stock papers in half. I made 2 columns. One was 'Most Exciting' & the other was 'Most Important' & it was labeled across the top of the page. Down the side of the page I listed these 6 priorities: Gifts, Decorations, Food, Friends, Family, & Christ. I then had them list their 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices of what is personally most exciting about Christmas to them & then also what is personally most important to them. We were able to discuss the different reasons they made their choices as I asked them, "Why is it at Christmas time the things that are most exciting & take the most time are not necessarily the most important?" Their answers were very honest & they basically said that they get so excited when they see/receive presents cause it's always FUN to see what they've received. I asked them how long their excitement usually lasts & they said not very long. Aaliyah realized where I was going with this & said, "Mom, I know that Christmas isn't about the presents. Even though the presents is what I'm EXCITED about the MOST. . . .I know that I should be thinking more of SERVICE cause that's what Jesus Christ did his whole life. He served others. I'm not going to expect any presents for Christmas this year. That's not what it's about." And then Lote said, "I think we should bake cookies & take it for our neighbors. Every time we get ready to go to church on Sundays, I don't ever see anyone that goes to church from their house. We should be good neighbors to them & befriend them cause everyone else in our neighborhood goes to church." Polu's turn. She says, "Mom, I'm gonna make AaLiyah & Lote's bed tomorrow. :D But can I still get a present on Christmas day??"
She totally KILLED it!! Hahahaha!! But I love this activity/lesson that we were able to do. And even though Polu was still asking for @ least one present this year, I was EXTREMELY proud of the ideas they came up with as acts of service towards others. We're planning several acts of service throughout this month & plan to incorporate them into our daily family lives. :D
We're definitely guilty of getting caught up in the hype of getting gifts during this time of year, but this year's gonna be different. We want to instill into our children the true meaning for the season. :D Acts of service will carry them a lot further in not only this life, but on into the next life as well. And that's definitely what's always mattered most. :D Next week's lesson. . . .'A Christmas Story' out of chapter 2 in the book of Luke. I can't wait. :D
Monday, December 7, 2009
In A Blink Of An Eye. . . . .
It's been such an AMAZING year. So much has happened. :D This past weekend, Hoko & I were able 2 make our way 2 Denver, CO 4 a short weekend trip that was well worth the drive & some. :D Every week, about 4-5 days out of the week, I've had the privilege of tuning into live webinars given by very SUCCESSFUL real estate investors & I'm in AWE of how much OPPORTUNITY there REALLY is out there once you are able 2 RECOGNIZE them & take ADVANTAGE of them. :D I'm ETERNALLY grateful 4 an EVER-SUPPORTIVE husband who has always been so ENCOURAGING in all my ENDEAVORS in life I'm always pursuing. :D
It's definitely the signs of the times where the seasons are shortened & there never seems 2 be enough time in a day, week, month or year 2 get things done. Lol. But I'm very PICKY on my time & how it's spent because of the value I place on it. Time is something you can never get back & so I try my BEST 2 make the most of it. Since Hoko started working 4 E.R., this may sound weird, but I'm always looking 4ward 2 the winter layoff months so that we're able 2 spend more QUALITY time as a family. The IMPACT it has on my kids is PRICELESS. :D I'm very BLESSED 2 be able 2 be a stay @ home mom & I don't take it 4 granted @ all.
Last Thursday I was able 2 host a 'Bake Night W/Mommy' event right in the comfort of my own kitchen. :D The kids had me all 2 themselves & vice versa. It was FANTASTIC & so much FUN!! :D Hoko left 2 the stake center in his effort 2 support our branch volleyball team & so I took advantage of the time I'd have alone w/the kids. It was so much FUN. :D We pulled out the cook book & skimmed thru the pages looking @ desserts & 'decadent delights' (as they had it worded, lol) & the kids chose what they wanted 2 make. :D 'Banana Oats Caramel Cookies' :D
I can't believe how much they're growing & have already grown. They took 2 the task so easily that the word task probably isn't even the right word 2 describe it. It's more like they took 2 the ACTIVITY so well that it truly IMPRESSED me & I had 2 take a moment & remind myself that they really are growing up. And 'IN A BLINK OF AN EYE' they will be graduating 4rom high school, off 2 college, serving missions, getting married, having their own kids, starting individual careers/businesses & so forth. . . .WOW!! It's definitely BITTER/SWEET. I'm looking 4ward 2 all that life has 2 offer, even the never ending trials & tribulations because no matter what. . . .I know I always have a WONDERFUL husband, AMAZING kids, a LOVING heavenly father, GREAT health & the GOSPEL in my life 2 keep me continuously THANKFUL 4 all that I've been BLESSED with. :D
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
LDS Teen Is Top Gymnast, Sets Sights On Olympics
Cody Farabee of Queen Creek, Arizona, keeps plenty busy.
Between college English and honors Trigonometry and Calculus, spending time with friends, and at least two and a half hours of gymnastics training daily, it’s a wonder that he excels at anything — let alone everything. Add to that his status as the top U.S. junior gymnast for double mini trampoline and tumbling events and you’ve got the makings of a pretty impressive resume. (Oh, and he’s state champion for diving in his high school division.)
Cody doesn’t pretend he can do it alone. “It’s hard,” he said. “My parents do a really good job of picking up my slack. I have to have a constant support around me — friends, parents, my brother and sisters help out quite a bit. When I’m not able to do my chores, they’ll do my chores for me; when I’m not able to do my homework, I have one of my buddies come in and give me a tutor, when I’ve been absent or something. It’s cool.”
“He’s really an amazing guy,” said his mother, Michele. “He has to balance so much — he has such a full load. Maybe from competing, he has to be mature for his age, and just to accomplish everything he’s done [is amazing].”
Cody, 17, began gymnastics at age 3 then quit at age 9 because the load was too much; he started up again at 14. That was when he started trampoline and tumbling. “That’s just where my strengths are,” he said.
Even from the time he was young, Cody has had a keen natural air sense (knowing where his body is, even when doing difficult twists and turns in the air), which, along with his perfect physical type, led him to his status as the top U.S. gymnast is double mini and tumbling. He earned this title at the Las Vegas World Qualifiers, where he won tumbling by 5.5 points and double mini by 1.1 points—both unheard of margins in gymnastics.
This result earned Cody a spot on the U.S. delegation to the World Age Group Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, which he attended with his parents in St. Petersburg, Russia, between November 14 and 22. The competition included 940 gymnasts ages 11-18 from 32 countries. Cody competed in the 17-18 age level.
As this was first international competition, the opportunity to compete at such a level was incomparable for Cody; but that wasn’t all that impressed him. “Honestly, [the best part] was just seeing all the different cultures and seeing you know forty-plus countries get together in one place and compete,” Cody said. “You really can’t top a world championship competition — one so eye-opening. It was really cool.”
Michele and her husband, Richard, were even able to celebrate their 20th anniversary while they were there. This, on top of being able to see their son compete with other world-class gymnasts, made for the experience of a lifetime. “It was fun to go watch him. He took fourth in double mini and seventh in the tumbling — in the world!” she said in a voice brimming with pride. “It’s really amazing.”
Though Cody is taking a little break to recover from jet lag, he has his sights set on some big goals. First there’s world championships next year then there’s the 2012 Olympics, where tumbling may be included for men for the first time (the Olympic committee has accepted a bid to include the event, but it must still go through approval). Somewhere in there he’d like to work in a mission, college, and a family. “But that’s not till later,” he said. “As of this point, I’m going to continue training.”
“He takes his gymnastics very seriously, and he’s driven. And he’s just a great kid!” said Michele. “He’s knows what’s right, and he wants to do what’s right.”
Wow!! I thought my kids had busy schedules just juggling church, school, homework, chores & so forth. After reading this article, I was truly AMAZED. What a GREAT & UPLIFTING read. :D We're definitely getting the girls back into their different recreational activities. :D So exciting. :D
