The month of November is well on it's way. I can't believe we're already half way thru. :D Usually it's already FREEZING cold here, but suffice it 2 say. . . .the weather has been surprisingly warm. It's been nothing, but SUNNY days these past couple of weeks & we LOVE it!! :D
We had the opportunity 2 take the kids 2 the Daybreak Park, which I must add, is absolutely AMAZING!! :D It's like a playground 4 the future w/it's MODERN design & its CONTRASTING architectural elements. :D You'd think 4rom that last sentence that I knew something in regards 2 Drafting & Design. Hahahaha!! I definitely don't. Lol. I'm just a READ-A-HOLIC!! :D Books are my favorite pass time!! I can spend a WHOLE 24 hrs just reading my life away. Enlightening the mind is always a PLUS!! :D
Anyways, so off track. Lol. After spending a good half hour playing w/the kids on the playground & shooting some hoops w/baby Hoko & Polu Marie. . . .Siu arrived w/her kids & we left them all in the care of my husband, Hoko. :D Siu & I made our way around the lake 4 a GREAT workout & we LOVED it. The scenery is so BEAUTIFUL & w/GREAT company. . . .good times are always @ hand. :D We got back 2 the playground 2 find the kids laughing, playing, crying (Sila, of course, lol), & us just chatting it up. It was PERFECT. :D
Well, the sunny days have been WONDERFUL. . . . .but they never last too long in these parts. :D We had another snow storm yesterday & my cousins think I'm crazy cause every chance we get. . . .we're heading 2 our neighborhood park w/the kids 4 FUN times TUBING. :D Which is EXACTLY what we did. :D It was coming down so HARD out here on the south end of the valley so we decided we'd definitely stay off the roads. With our tubes in tow, we headed 2 the park 4 a GOOD hour & went crazy on those hills. :D It was so much FUN & the kids had a BLAST!! :D
Aaliyah ended up taking Titan home cause his chubby little paws were getting really cold. Then I had 2 walk Polu Marie & baby Hoko home cause they were done. :D Sila stayed back w/her dad cause she was having wayyyy too much fun. :D Me & Lote sii headed back 2 the park where Aaliyah had already returned & we had even more FUN!! :D Oh how I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we get 2 experience all 4 seasons throughout the year. :D One of the MANY perks of living here in UT. :D
Here are some pics of our family taking FULL advantage of these 'Sweet November' days. :D Enjoy. . . .
As you all know, I am half Fijian through my mom & am very proud of my heritage. While going through my email this morning, I came across this article on LDSLiving that brought me such JOY while reading it. :D I've only been 2 Fiji once. When I was very young & plan on going back w/my growing family sometime next year. :D Here is the article & just reading it has reminded me, once again, of how IMPERATIVE it is 2 be FAITHFUL in keeping the Law of Tithing. The countless blessings our father in heaven bestows on us 4 being obedient 2 this very principle. :D I've always seen & experienced the blessings that come 4rom being a FULL TITHE PAYER as well as being on the other end of the yard stick in not being a FULL TITHE PAYER. And let me just share w/you now that being on the side of being a FULL TITHE PAYER has always created such a better atmosphere in my life through all the PROMISED blessings that come w/it. :D Here is the article:
'Sitiveni Bale & his wife, Vasiti, are feeling the effects of a long life. Aged 79 & 77 respectively, they are pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji having converted to the Church in 1976 when there were barely 1,000 Latter-day Saints throughout the tropical islands that make up the Fijian archipelago. The Church was 1st established in Fiji just 22 years before in 1954.
Now suffering a debilitating form of arthritis, Brother Bale was still anxious to go to Fiji LDS College auditorium last night (10 November 2009) to hear Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counselor in the Church's 1st Presidency, speak to the gathered Saints. With the broadcast of the meeting being transmitted throughout Fiji, & also to New Caledonia & Vanuatu, the Bales were among many thousands of Church members who had the opportunity of hearing a member of the 1st Presidency speak directly to them. Fiji has 15,400 members, while there are 1,900 members in New Caledonia & 3,900 in Vanuatu.
The Bales were the 1st Temple President & Matron of the newly dedicated Suva Fiji Temple in 2000. Temples are unique in Latter-day Saint theology. While Church members hold their regular Sunday worship services & weekday cultural activities in their many chapels, their temple in Suva is regarded as a House of the Lord where families are united together eternally, not just for this life. Because of their special nature, there are just 130 temples throughout the world.
Having served as a branch president & stake patriarch before his call as temple president, Brother Bale exhibited the humility & forbearance of one who has lived a long & faithful life in the service of the Lord. He especially saw the parallels between his own life & the early experiences of Pres. Uchtdorf.
"Pres. Uchtdorf came through hardship as a young boy in East Germany to become an active member of the Church," said Brother Bale. "For us, there also were challenges & Pres. Uchtdorf's example shows that others can do the same, too. It is special to have him in our part of the world because he is a man called of God. We are privileged that he would come to our shores. By listening to his words & those of our other Church leaders who will speak to us, this will bring blessings to us who are already members of the Church as well as people of other faiths who hear him."
Brother Bale had been employed as a civil servant & printer for 40 years before his retirement in 1990. Sister Bale had been a typist in private companies before retiring in 1988. She raised two children, one of whom, a son, passed away a few years ago. Their daughter, Sulueti Kama, is married to Jese Kama, president of the Lautoka Fiji Stake.
For Sister Bale, Pres. Uchtdorf's words to the Saints about the importance of paying tithing resonated with a significant even in her own life. Before attending the member meeting where Pres. Uchtdorf was due to speak, Sister Bale had related her own conversion story, a conversion that wasn't completed until nearly three years after her baptism.
"One day, a lady came to our Relief Society & encouraged us to pay our tithing," said Sister Bale. "She told us that if we have no food in our cupboards after we pay our tithing, don't worry because the Lord will provide. That day I committed to live the principle of tithing & found the promise to be of God! We never wanted for anything in our life. I knew for sure that the gospel was true."
Pres. Uchtdorf's words at the evening meeting directly echoed Sister Bale's own experience. "Being a full tithe payer is a matter of faith," said Pres. Uchtdorf. "The greatest blessings will come from obedience to this & other commandments of God. Pay your tithing & you will walk tall. There will always be food on your table. And, if you feel you are struggling, go to your Bishop. He will assist you. But paying tithing should be your first priority."
Dharmendra Sharma, 29, joined the Church just one year ago. He runs his own grass-cutting business while studying for a Bachelor of Science degree p/t at the University of the South Pacific. After finishing his under-graduate degree he wants to do post-graduate study as well. One of Brother Sharma's greatest regrets is that he hadn't bothered speaking to the missionaries much earlier. He had certainly seen them around Suva.
Twelve months ago, he saw some elders on the road & approached them to ask about their black badges. He had converted from his native Hindu faith to one of the Christian denominations as a 15 year old & had always had a keen interest in religion & in particular, the life of the Savior.
Yet, he was still searching & wanted to know what they thought about Jesus Christ. "I could not find answers to certain questions in my heart," Brother Sharma said. "But within weeks of talking to the missionaries, I was studying the Book of Mormon ( I had one on my house already) & praying about the Church. I received a wonderful answer that it was true. I joined 2 months after that time on the street."
"The visit of Pres. Uchtdorf is an exciting time for me," said Brother Sharma, a very articulate & intelligent young man. "What Pres. Uchtdorf is saying is what we should be doing. He is giving us precautions about the things we should not do, as well as those things we should do."
Brother Sharma, who is single & has been serving as a Ward Mission Leader in the Suva 1st Ward of the Suva Fiji Stake, expressed sincere gratitude for Pres. Uchtdorf's remarks. Taking notes throughout the meeting, Brother Sharma especially found relevance in Pres. Uchtdorf's encouragement for members to let others know about the gospel through their own actions & example. "He told us to be humble & forbearing towards others & to avoid anger & pride," said Brother Sharma. "When we are humble we are more susceptible to the teachings of Christ."
Brother Sharma spoke of the joy in seeing a member of the 1st Presidency in the flesh. "When you see the General Conference by video, you can really feel the Spirit, but when they are here w/you, you feel like they are looking into your soul."
Dharmendra Sharma's next goal in his Church progression is to take his parents & grandparents names to the temple. A single man w/no living relatives in Fiji, Brother Sharma has just completed the family history research on them. He loves going to the temple to perform baptisms for the dead. "When I first went to the temple, there was this peace. People, including my family, are waiting on the other side of the veil for the ordinances to be performed. I am so looking forward to my own forbears having that opportunity & for me to do it for them."
That's the end of the article. My favorite story is the last one about Brother Sharma. :D What GREAT FAITH this man has in moving forward the work of his deceased loved ones. He is such a GREAT example of pure selflessness & in putting the Lord first in all his doings. I love it & hope 2 be able 2 become more like him in my everyday living. :D
Our BIG boy, Savou, turned 3 months 2day. :D It's AMAZING 2 me how much time flies & in the blink of an eye, our kids will be adults & saying their goodbyes 2 us as they pursue their individual lives. :D
Savou Ephraim Tu'akoi has brought nothing, but JOY & HAPPINESS into our lives since the day he was born. I am in AWE of how our Father in Heaven works & how meticulous & mind boggling it is when thinking about every little detail He puts into every aspect of life. Especially the creation of these PRECIOUS little spirits. :D The human body itself is something 2 think about. In it's entirety, it is STAGGERING that scientists & doctors are still exploring the way the human body works & the different parts/cures that are still being researched on a daily basis. WOW!! :D
Some of the things Savou is able 2 do now that he's reached his 3 month milestone are these:
-Sit up
-Tries 2 hold his bottle on his own
-Not only recognizes objects, but has more control over range of motion so that he can reach 4 things he's looking at
-As he's talking, I swear he seems like he's actually trying 2 pronounce words
-Has sensors on me & knows when I'm leaving somewhere Lol
-Sleeps through the night, even if he wakes up @ 5 am every morning :D
-Recognizes his brother & sisters & smiles every time he sees them
-Only cries when he's hungry, needs a diaper change & sometimes when he's tired
-The only child of ours that can make his dad feel so sorry 4 him by the way he's crying that Hoko's literally running 2 make his bottle & then warming it up & running back 2 the room 2 hurry & get it 2 him. Lol. It's cute, but @ the same time HILLARIOUS!!
-2nd to our oldest, Aaliyah. . . . .he's next up in being the MOST ALERT!! :D
-Has never ever pee'd/pooped while I'm changing him. Our 1st son, baby Hoko, was NOTORIOUS 4 doing this. Lol
-Has that SURPRISED expression on his face every single day that he gets a bath Lol It's the funniest thing cause I always think he's past that stage, but as soon as his body touches the water, he acts as if he can't breathe. Sounds harsh, but believe me. . . .he's ok. It only lasts 4 the first 10 seconds he's in there. :D
I think that pretty much sums it up. :D I'm sure I'm missing a couple of things, but he's only 3 months. Lol. We love love love our baby Savou & are so EXCITED 2 watch him grow. It's REMARKABLE 2 be the parents of 6 children total & 2 see how different each one is 4rom the other. Definitely proof of the work of the Lord in action on a daily basis. :D Can't wait 2 see him grow. :D
We had another SUCCESSFUL FAMILY OUTING 2day. . . :D We've been really trying 2 stay CONSISTENT on doing our FHE's every week. They may not always be on Monday nights, but most weeks they are. :D
2day's outing consisted of heading back 2 the District & going 2 watch 'A Christmas Carol' :D It was GREAT!! I loved it. But I really must say that they are starting 2 make all these kids movies really really REALISTIC. :D There's hardly any that have come out recently where it's all about MAGIC or just about IMAGINATION 2 the degree where it just leaves you in AWE. At least that's just my take on it. Lol. They just all seem very REALISTIC in regards 2 how life is in the REAL WORLD. And I guess in some respects, it's a positive where it opens up a child's mind 2 REAL WORLD situations & sorts. But I remember the days as I was growing up where I would look 4ward so much 2 watching Disney movies cause they took my imagination on journeys I never imagined my mind would ever or even could ever take. It was pure MAGIC!! :D
Anyways, we've been thinking a lot about the coming up HOLIDAY SEASON. The closest one being Thanksgiving & we've been throwing different ideas around in what we'll be doing this year 2 show our GRATITUDE 4 all that we have, all that we've been given, all that we can give & all that we can continually strive 4 w/all the opportunities of living in this GREAT land. :D One thing we've always wanted 2 do, but have always fell short of is taking our kids 2 a homeless shelter & doing volunteer work. Or even putting simple projects 2gether of needs whether they be hygiene kits or blankets/quilts 4 the less fortunate. I guess because of the fact that most of these projects we do throughout the year in our Relief Society activities. Even visiting the widows in our areas/wards. :D But I know that even though these things are done throughout the year w/our Relief Society or through service projects w/the youth or even the primary. . . .there can never be enough done 2 go around. So w/that said. . .we'll definitely be getting a list of widows in our area/ward & setting up some time 2 go as a family & give of our time. Most of the time, when we'd go as sisters of our Relief Society organization, that was what they were most thankful for. Not the things that we would take 4 them, but the time that we spent w/them just talking & listening. I guess just plain caring. :D It reminds me of that short letter/reply that our late Pres. Hinkley received 4rom his father while on his mission. 'Forget yourself & get to work.'
I'm definitely guilty @ times of not practicing this principle. 2day was the 1st time in all the years that I've been a temple member that I was able 2 attend the temple & do a session w/just me & my dad. It was definitely one that I will never 4get or take 4 granted. As I look @ my parents now, I am so GRATEFUL & words can't even begin 2 express my LOVE & GRATITUDE 4 them & their examples/teachings that have helped me become who I am 2day. I felt the spirit so STRONGLY while being there & as we were waiting 4 the session 2 start, the organist was playing one of my MOST favorite primary songs.
'Where Love Is'
Where love is,
There God is also.
Where love is,
We want to be.
Guide us,
His truths to follow;
Help us obey him faithfully.
Where love is,
There God is also.
We think of him rev'rently.
Teach us to pray,
To talk w/him above
And know that he will guide us w/his love.
The comfort of loving arms around us,
A song that makes us want to sing.
The happiness we feel when love has found us,
'Tis love we get when love we bring.
Where love is,
There God is also.
Where love is,
We want to be.
Guide us,
His truths to follow;
Help us obey him faithfully.
Where love is,
There God is also.
And w/him we want to be.
Show us the way & guide us tenderly
That we may dwell w/him eternally.
I love love love this primary song. It brought such a great humbling spirit into my heart that I needed in order to soften my heart & be able 2 have a clear & active mind in seeking the Lord's counsel in things that I need guidance in. Oh how I heart the temple & all the WONDERFUL blessings it holds 4 those that seek it diligently. I am so very grateful 2 be able 2 live so close 2 many of the temples. The closest being the newest edition. The Oquirrh Mtn Temple. Next being the Jordan River Temple. Next up, the Draper Temple. Next being the Timpanogas Temple. And then probably the Salt Lake Temple. And then the Provo Temple, the Bountiful Temple & then ending w/the Ogden Temple. WOW!! And most likely. . . .only one of these temples is a full hour away. :D That is definitely AMAZING!! :D
Being able 2 have these family outings @ least once a week has been such a blessing in our lives & has brought such a closeness that one can only feel through these experiences. We ended our outing @ Applebees @ the District as well. We gave ourselves a break 4rom kitchen duties 4 one night & it was GREAT. :D Our kids are growing up so fast & I cherish all the MOMENTS in life that we have 2gether. Especially when we're all present. With the right attitude, GREAT things come 2 pass. I honestly believe that. :D
With the holidays just around the corner, let me be the first 2 wish you all a 'HAPPY HOLIDAYS' 4rom our family 2 yours. May the spirit of THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS dwell w/in our homes not only @ this time of year, but continually & constantly into the new year & beyond. :D
So I love 2 keep myself updated w/different current events & came across this article on LDSLiving.org. With so much CRAZINESS going on in the world right now. . . .it definitely BRIGHTENS my day when I come across these kinds of stories. :D And what can I say. . . .I'm a SUCKER 4 LOVE!! :D And w/my husband & I reaching our 9 yr anniversary last week, it just made this article mean that much more!! :D Which by the way I must add that 4 our anniversary Hoko took me on a shopping adventure!! 1st up was Dillard's @ the South Town Mall 2 pick up my 1st pair of UGGS!! Woo hoo!! I finally own a pair & I must say that they are worth every single penny that went into buying 'em. :D After I picked out my 1st pair, he told me 2 pick out a 2nd pair!! I almost FAINTED!! Hahahaha!! My husband knows how much I love 2 be outdoors & how the winter weather seems 2 only HEIGHTEN that characteristic of mine!! :D So I picked out my 2nd pair & was still in AWE that he was getting them 4 me. :D I know I know. . .I'm a lucky girl!! :D Believe me. . . .I am GRATEFUL on a daily basis. He tried convincing me 2 get a pair last year, but as soon as I saw the price?? I was like, no thanks. Lol. And then when I opted out & bought me a couple of pairs of the cheap ones & they totally ripped & water soaked thru them in no time!! Of course my husband was like. . .I told you 2 get them UGGS. Lol. So this winter, I'm happy 2 know that my feet will be NICE & COZY & very much TOASTY WARM!! :D 2nd, we took 2 Fashion Place Mall & I shopped 4 the kids instead. :D I swear buying them things always makes me a lot happier than buying 4 myself. The sparkle in their eyes when they see that they've gotten something new. It can be a brand new pair of socks & underwears & they're HAPPY!! They teach me different things on a daily basis!! I love them so much!! :D After that mall, we headed 2 the Nordstrom Rack that just went up right by South Town. Love that place. I definitely picked me up some stuff 4rom there. Hoko was trying 2 buy Aaliyah some Ed Hardy shoes. . . .I was like. . . .Uhhhh, nice try. She's a new size every month. Lol. When her growing stage ends then we can buy her those. Lol. After the shopping madness was over, we returned home. We were supposed 2 catch a movie that night, but I wanted 2 stay in w/the kids & do a DVD night. :D So that's exactly what ended up happening. Anyways, I had 2 blog right quick about my anniversary cause it ties into this story & I hope 2 follow in these ladies' footsteps w/my own marriage. :D Here's a copy of the article. :D
'Sisters Who Wed Together Celebrate 140 Years Of Marriage'
THEY married together in a hastily arranged double wedding as their generation faced the terrible uncertainty of war. But sisters Doris & Margaret Wiles were both fortunate to find an enduring romance which has lasted 70 years.
Now aged in their 90's, Doris & Margaret have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversaries w/the sweethearts they wed in a joint ceremony in the autumn of 1939.
"We thought we may be killed so we wanted to get married as soon as possible," recalled Doris, of St Austell Ave, Macclesfield.
"I only had a few weeks to make both wedding dresses & all the bridemaid dresses, but we managed it.
"It was a lovely wedding - we couldn't all fit in our own church so we had to have it in the Methodist chapel instead."
Her sister Margaret added,"We are very, very close, we were like twins. It was nice for us to both get married on the same day."
Doris, who was 22 at the time, married Lawrence Gregson, a 25 year old mechanical engineer & her elder sister Margaret, who was 24, tied the knot with 26 year old Clarence Corbishley at the same ceremony.
After the wedding in Cheetham Hill in Manchester, the sisters went their separate ways, Doris hopped on a bus to her new home in Macclesfield & Margaret headed over to Baguley.
Doris & Lawrence remained in Macclesfield during the war as Lawrence's skills as a mechanical engineer kept him away from the front line & building Lancaster Bombers at Woodford.
He also worked for the Home Guard in the evenings.
Shortly after the birth of Margaret & Clarence's first son, Michael, Clarence was called up to the air force & did not return for more than five years.
Margaret said: "The war office put off calling him until I had the baby because Michael was our first, then the next time he came home baby Michael was 6 1/2 yrs old.
"But we had lots & lots of letters between us, we loved each other very much."
Margaret, now 94, & Clarence, 96, eventually had 5 children while Doris, 92, & Lawrence, 95, had 2 children.
The couples, who have collectively been alive for 377 years, have a total of 24 grandchildren & 34 great-grandchildren between them.
They celebrated their joint wedding anniversary at The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Victoria Road, Macclesfield.
Doris added,"We had a lovely day. It was nice to celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary all together."
"We've had a very happy life, it's all about give & take."
I love this article. What a perfect example of a fairytale ending. I can't even imagine us being apart for over 5 yrs. I admire their strength & example they've set 4 all us married couples out there that this is DEFINITELY possible. I love it!! :D What a GREAT story. :D
